Night Child
by Avalon Ryan
Summary: When Quinn and Rashel escape from Hunter Redfern, they are on the run from one of the most influential vampires there is. They need to help fight the dark. They need to come to terms with the powerful bond they share. They need to reach Circle Daybreak.
1. Finding Help

"Behind you!" A deep voice called, and Rashel Jordan spun around, her make-shift weapon swinging around to crack against the huge shape looming over her. The branch split in half, but the groan of pain from her attacker was enough for Rashel. She launched herself at him, elbow swinging up into his face, while her other hand shoved the splintered end of her branch into his chest. His anguished scream echoed through the forest, and as he fell to the ground, pale skin already beginning the change from undead, to dead.

"You know, it's still a bit disconcerting watching you do that," A wry voice said. Rashel turned, shooting the dark vampire behind her a grin. When their eyes connected, all the tension in Rashel's back eased, her mind acknowledging Quinn as her soulmate. His black eyes gazed down at the decaying vampire in disgust, and he stepped over him, dragging a tiny boy behind him.

"Timmy, did they hurt you?" Rashel asked, eyeing him from top to bottom. They had risked walking through a clearing, and were attacked by two of the vampires that were following them. The first Quinn had neatly disposed of, which was not easy when Timmy was doing his best at breaking free of Quinn's grip on his wrist. The little vampire stuck out his tongue, and sneered, "I wish." Rashel sighed - she wished more then anything that her little brother-turned-vampire could go back to how they used to be, how they should be if not for Hunter Redfern.

If not for the man sending vampire after vampire to hunt them down.

"He'll find us, you know," Timmy said stubbornly as Quinn forced him to keep walking, "And when they do, you'll be sorry!"

"Shush," Quinn said quietly. He would have preferred to just let go of his hand, letting the boy run away and try to find his own way back. But Rashel would never forgive him for letting go of the only 'family' she had left. And since beating the sense into what appeared to be a four year old boy was out of the question, restraint was all he had left.

"How much further?" Rashel asked, wiping her brow. They had been walking for nearly 15 hours, and were dirty, hungry, and both Timmy and Quinn desperately needed blood. They tried to steal a car in the last town, but Timmy was too much of a nuisance to get close enough, and they couldn't leave him by himself or he would run away. Of course, Rashel could have gone by herself, but Quinn insisted she didn't leave his side.

"This is the hill I met Ash on last time I was here - it should only be a few more miles," Quinn replied, attempting to smile but failing miserably. His last meal had been over 24 hours ago, and he was starting to feel the drain on his energy. They kept walking, and Quinn glanced at Rashel, thinking, _'Timmy isn't going to make it much longer, Rashel.' _Rashel glanced sharply at Timmy, and hesitated, glancing down at her arm. Her sleeve of her favorite leather jacket was ripped, and beneath her creamy skin she could see the blue veins running down her arm, full of nutritious blood.

"You cannot be serious." Quinn stated this with a cold glare, and Rashel sighed, _'He needs it. For that matter, YOU need it..'_

_'Do not get me started, Rashel. Its out of the question.' _Quinn walked faster, angry that his mind and his thirst were telling him two different things. Timmy, on the other hand, looked at Rashel with a gleam in his eyes. A split second later, he launched himself at her, shaking free of Quinn's grasp by pure blood lust. The motion sent them both rolling down the side of the hill. Quinn cursed under his breath, following them down faster then human eyes could comprehend. Timmy was latched on to Rashel's arm, fangs sunk deep into her vein. Without a second though, Quinn ripped him from her arm, throwing him backwards into a large tree trunk.

"Jesus Christ, Quinn.." Rashel muttered, dizzy from the sudden loss of blood. Quinn turned from Timmy, snarling in her direction. _'See, bad idea.' _Slowly, she stood up, wiping her arm on the thigh of her torn jeans. Quinn watched, then flicked his eyes back up to hers, and glared, "That isn't your brother anymore, when are you going to realize that? He's a little monster, Hunter Redfern's prodigy child. For all we know he's tracking him somehow, and that's how they keep finding us!"

"They keep finding us because they smell a vampire and human together," Rashel spat back, "Stop telling me he's a monster!" Quinn grit his teeth - when was the last time someone had spoken to him like that and gotten away with it? Years... He ground his teeth harder as he mentally cursed the soulmate principal. Holding out his hand, he let out a long breath, and said, "Come on. Just a bit further." Rashel seemed to accept the sudden change in temperament, and Quinn knew she was feeling his emotions just like he could feel hers. Frustration. Confusion with this sudden bond they were still getting used to. She put her hand in his, and Quinn pulled Timmy off the ground by his wrist, and dragged him behind them. Timmy kept resisting, but Quinn's hand in Rashel's was sending little sparks of warmth up his arm. She shot him a weary grin, and said, "Yeah, I know. I feel them too."

"I see a house," Timmy's voice broke in, "Maybe there are humans inside! I think I can even smell one!" Quinn frowned, and nodded, "That's the place, but.. I do smell a human. Strange.." Rashel looked at him warily, and said, "Remind me again how welcoming are your cousins going to be, Quinn?" Quinn shot her a dry smile, "Before or after we explain I come in peace, for the first time this century?" Rashel nodded, spotting a piece of wood on the ground that would be a good defense weapon.

"Don't tell me Rashel the Cat is nervous," Quin smirked, as they climbed the rickety fence into the yard. Rashel rolled her eyes, "I can take them." She dropped his hand - something made her feel like this wasn't the time for hand holding or comforting. They approached the house slowly, knowing the occupants could sense them around, but not sure how they would be met. Timmy was almost shaking, he wanted the human's blood that badly. Quinn looked completely composed from the outside, but Rashel could feel the strain on his body through their link. _'Soon.' _She sent to him, not looking. They had only just come to terms with the fact that fate had a huge sense of humor, and had destined them soulmates. The fact that, until then, they had despised one another's race was still looming over them. She felt uncomfortable with the idea that very soon he would need to go and find a blood source to sustain himself with.

"Why Quinn, what a pleasant surprise," A girl's voice sounded. Rashel glanced at the porch to see a tall girl walking down the steps, smiling warmly. Quinn nodded to her, the rest of his body unnaturally still, "Rowan, the human world is treating you well." Rowan was about to reply, when her eyes landed on Rashel.

"Your a human," was all she stated. Her eyes had widened a fraction, but otherwise her body held the same stillness Quinn's did. Rashel nodded slowly, gripping Timmy's arm tight. Rowan frowned, and took a step back, "We didn't realize.. Quinn.. We could sense only vampires. Hmm. Maybe the rest of you better come out here." She said this is a normal tone, but the others inside still heard her. Two girls walked out first, one small with beautiful silver-blond hair, and the other golden haired, with a feral expression on her face. Rashel knew instantly they were both vampires, meaning they were Kestral and Jade, the rest of Quinn's cousins. She felt Quinn's tension as another vampire walked out, tall with ash-blond hair. Beside him was a human girl, who looked nervous as she bit her lip, examining the male vampires face. Their fingers were entwined.

"Ash." Quinn stated this, not saying anything else. Ash narrowed his eyes, looking from Quinn to Rashel, who were standing almost shoulder to shoulder. Rashel had the urge to hold on to Quinn, but she knew neither of them needed that disability in the situation.

"Brought lunch, did you?" Ash asked, eyes narrowing. The girl beside Ash frowned hard at him, and Ash dropped her hand, shifting into what appeared to be a comfortable stance, but it was one Rashel knew from experience. He could spring out of it and attack at a given moment, in the blink of an eye. Quinn sighed, "We need a place to stay. We're being tracked, I can't tell by how many."

"First, you tell us why your back. Ash said we'd be left alone," Kestral growled, her fangs glinting in the sunlight as she scowled at them both. Before Quinn could reply, Rashel caught his eye, and thought _'Let me try. They don't trust you.' _He nodded, _'Tread carefully, vampire hunter. They may not appreciate someone of your.. reputation. ' _Rashel nodded, turning back to the house as she said, "My name is Rashel Jordan. I'm.. I'm Quinn's soulmate." She said the last part almost with a wince, and Quinn shifted closer to her, sending soothing thoughts through their bond to help her relax. The wince had struck a cord in him - though he knew it was still hard to accept. Even still, the last thing they needed was the vampire hunter to let loose on the only people he could think to turn to.

"Soulmate?" Ash burst out, laughing dryly, "Oh, this is a real riot." Quinn snarled at him, restrained only by the hand Rashel put on his arm.

"Keep your mouth shut, Redfern," Quinn muttered, his voice sending a chill through Rashel's body. Quinn felt her moment of fear, and that damn cord struck again. He forced his voice to calm down, and said again, "We need a place to stay." The human girl beside Ash took a deep breath, and exclaimed, "I'm Mary-Lynette. Ash's soulmate." Ash groaned, rubbing his forehead. There was dead silence, until Quinn's low laugh rang across the yard.

"M'lin, really?" Ash grumbled, and Mary-Lynette rolled her eyes, "Get over it, Ash! They need help, he's your cousin! Whats the problem?"

"Can you believe this?" Rowan smiled, "Ash AND Quinn, both having human soulmates. The Night World would never believe this. Mary-Lynette, Quinn is like Ash. Well, worse, perhaps." Quinn felt Rashel's sigh, and thought _'Its who I was. Not who I am.'_ She nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"And I suppose you blew up Hunter Redfern's villa, too?" Jade said, speaking for the first time. Rashel grinned finally, and Quinn said, "Rashel infiltrated. Long story. He's not dead."

"Well, you may as well come in," Rowan said, suddenly sounding businesslike, "But, what on earth is that?" She was looking at Timmy, who was straining towards Mary-Lynette. Rashel pulled him back, "My little brother."

"We can lock him in the basement," Quinn muttered, taking his arm from Rashel and dragging him forwards. Timmy howled as he passed Mary-Lynette, "She's mine! Give her to me!" Rowan showed Quinn where the basement was, and Rashel walked stiffly towards the porch, eyeing Kestral in distrust.

"Do you want a shower?" Mary-Lynette asked, and Rashel's urge to get clean outweighed her strange feelings about Kestral. She nodded, "Please." Mary-Lynette showed her inside, and up an old staircase to the bathroom.

"You can call me Mary," She smiled, "Its so nice to have another human here. Not that you can't trust them, but still, you know?" She bubbled away, and Rashel found herself calmed by the inane conversation. 24 hours with Quinn on the run didn't provide much conversation.

"I'll be in the living room. I expect everyone will meet there to talk," Mary said, closing the door behind her. Rashel rubbed her face, finally giving herself a girl moment as she looked in the mirror. Great. You meet your soulmate, and you look like shit. She was bruised and burned from the fire, her clothes smokey and virtually falling into pieces. And her leather jacket was trashed.

_'You look beautiful to me.'_ A quiet voice whispered in her mind. She blushed, forgetting not to project her thoughts. She closed her mind quickly, before she started to undress for her shower. They would have a lot to discuss, and a lot to decide soon, but for now she was going to enjoy her shower.


	2. Escape

When Rashel walked downstairs, she felt a hundred times better then she did before her shower. Mary had left clothes that nearly fit outside the door, and her long hair was brushed, not knotted and smelling of smoke. Once she scrubbed the dirt away, she was finally able to take an inventory of her injuries. There was a particularly bad gash on her cheek she hadn't noticed before, but other then that it was mostly bruising, and a few mild burns. She wished she had her scarf, she still felt a bit naked without it. Especially with five vampires sitting in the living room.

She reached the foyer, and took the right that Mary explained led to the spacious living room. It appeared everyone was waiting for her. Rowan and Kestral stood, while Jade leaned against Mary on a couch, braiding her hair. Ash lounged on the floor between Mary's legs, and Quinn stood near the other couch, watching her closely. He was still dirty, his torn clothes making more of a fashion statement then anything else. She felt a surge of relief when she saw him, and quickly scanned his body for any sign of injuries.

_'Vampires heal much faster,' _He though, sensing her query. When she sat, she wanted to feel the warmth she felt whenever Quinn and her touched. Yet, in the current company, she felt it wise not to show the emotion threatening her solid exterior. She knew he understood, because glanced at her, and gave her a quick smile before turning back to the rest of the room.

"Do you have a phone?" She asked Rowan, who appeared to be the oldest. Rowan nodded, "Sure, but who do you need to call?"

"Daphne," was all Rashel said, as she dialed the cell phone number Daphne had given her when they first met. She barely heard Quinn explaining quietly who Daphne was, as a perky voice answering after the second ring.

"Daphne," Rashel breathed in relief, shoulders sagging, "Please tell me your all okay." She had to hold the phone away from her ear as Daphne screamed, "Rashel!" They spent a few minutes talking about their trip back, and Rashel reassuring Daphne she was okay. Finally, Rashel said, "Look, I have to go Daphne. Please, promise me you won't go back to that club." Quinn winced involuntarily beside her, and as Rashel passed the phone back to Rowan, Ash smirked, "The Crypt, cousin?" Quinn didn't reply, merely glared at Ash. Mary frowned, and said, "What were you doing there, Rashel?"

"There was a string of disappearances, mostly young girls. I wanted to get to where they were taking them," Rashel paused, not reaching Quinn's eyes, "And I wanted to kill him." Mary's eyes widened, and she nodded. Kestral suddenly said, "Now I know where I knew that name from. The Cat. Rashel the Cat." Rashel nodded slowly, gauging the reactions of the vampires in the room. When no one said anything, she continued, "Redfern is still alive. I can feel it. The rest of them..." She looked at Quinn, who nodded, "Burnt to a crisp."

"So why did you come here?" Rowan asked, more curious then anything. Quinn shot Rashel an uncomfortable glance, and said, "We need to find Circle Daybreak." Ash burst out laughing, and Kestral smirked, "I think hell just froze over."

"Look, if your not going to help us, don't waste my time," Quinn spat, shifting into a defensive stance. Rashel sighed _'Thats not going to get us anywhere.'_

_'Neither is being laughed at,' _Quinn replied, his anger seething through their link. Rashel closed her eyes at the onslaught, and thought in the quietest voice she could manage, _'I love you. Please...'_ He glanced down at her, and keeping his arms folded, he sat back down with her. This time, their legs were pressed against each other, and Rashel concentrated on sending all of the positive energy she could through that connection.

"What makes you think we know how to find them?" Ash finally asked, and Quinn replied, "We don't think you do. We just know you'd be trying to find them too."

"You did not come to ask for our help on your own," Rowan interjected, "Who told you about Ash and Mary?" Quinn shot her a grin, "You always were quick on your feet, dear cousin. I heard about Ash having a human soulmate through Blaise Harmen. She couldn't tell us if it was true or not, but mentioned something about Night Worlders and humans linking up a lot lately." Ash nodded, looking thoughtful, "So, people know. We'll have more then just Quinn knocking at our door soon." Kestral sighed, "Daybreakers. Really?" Rowan nodded, "It's exactly what needs to be done. We can't expect to stay here unnoticed for much longer."

"Will they protect us?" Mary asked, her fingers treading through Ash's hair. They looked so at ease together, Quinn couldn't recall Ash ever looking that comfortable. Especially around a human. Ash had glanced up at Mary, a small smile on his lips, "You know, this would be a lot easier if you became a vampire. We're already breaking rules, why not one more?" Mary rolled her eyes, "Because, you idiot." Quinn could feel Rashel's body still beside her, and he knew she felt as uncomfortable seeing evidence of their situation sitting right in front of them. Rowan said, "We might as well get a good nights sleep, and set out tomorrow. I say we head to Vegas, and talk to Blaise again. I heard rumours about Thea... Anyways, there's a guest bedroom not being used. We only have one, though." She bit her lip, glancing between Rashel and Quinn.

"Thats fine," Rashel replied, not looking at Quinn, "We'll figure it out." Rowan nodded, and as they dispersed, Rashel heard Kestral say, "Now we just need to figure out what to do with the monster in the basement..." Rashel ignored her, climbing the stairs ahead of everyone else. She didn't look to see what Quinn was doing, she could sense him hanging back, discussing something in a low voice with Ash. She entered the spare room, and hesitated. The bed was a double, barely big enough for her to sleep comfortably. There wasn't much else in the room, and as she turned the blankets down, a wave of sleepiness hit her. She flopped onto her stomach, and before she spared a second thought for the sleeping arrangements, she was fast asleep.

When Quinn reached the bedroom, he opened the door, pausing in the doorway. His lips twitched, seeing Rashel dead asleep, face down in the pillow. He closed the door behind him, slipping off his shoes and jacket. She was exhausted, but she had managed to keep up with two vampires across country for a whole day. That was something. He walked over to the bed, and frowned. Should he sleep on the floor? Hesitating, he sat on the bed, watching Rashel sleep. No, he decided, he was tired too, and he'd be damned if he chose decency over a comfortable nights sleep. Sliding into the covers, he hesitated once more, before turning on his side to face Rashel, placing his hand lightly on the small of her back. The warmth flooded him as he drifted off to sleep.

When Rashel woke, she felt groggy from a deep sleep. She could feel Quinn beside her in the bed, not that she hadn't expected it. She was just glad to not have made the decision herself. This damn soulmate stuff is tricky, she sighed to herself. Seeing Ash and Mary interact so casually together made her wonder if she and Quinn would ever be able to get over their hate, and anger, and differences to enjoy something like that.

"Didn't think you'd ever wake up," Quinn's voice drawled. Her eyes popped open in surprise, meeting his dark ones a few inches away. His face looked relaxed, the most relaxed she's ever seen him. _'Sleep well?' _He asked her, switching to non-verbal. It was so much easier to speak with her, through their minds and not with words. She nodded silently, not moving an inch.

_'I won't bite,' _He sighed, giving her a wry smile, _'I want to try something. Something I've wondered about..'_ Rashel held her breath as Quinn lifted his hand, brushing his knuckles against the soft skin of her cheek. Though she still felt a bit groggy, the tingling feeling made her shiver. His fingers traced down to her chin, his face closing in. She held her body very still, eyes wide as they met the cool, determined dark eyes staring back at her. When he finally kissed her, Rashel let out a tiny breath she didn't realize she was holding. They hadn't allowed themselves any personal time on the way here, something to do with Timmy and running for their lives. The last time they had kissed was on the boat, heading back from the island, while they were both still running on the high of getting away from a certain death situation. It was only a day ago, but as the bursts of light stirred in Rashel she wondered how she went without it. He was in her head, gently probing memories from her, and she took that as permission to explore his a little. As he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer, she wondered, _'Remind me again why I was worried about this?'_ She felt him smile against her lips, and replied,_ 'I figured we were screwed already, why deny ourselves any, um... benefits, of this soulmate principle.' _As his hand began to creep lower on her back, sending shivers down her spine, someone knocked quickly on the door.

"Quinn, you need to get out of here. Now!" Jade's soft voice was laced with fear, and Quinn swore, pulling himself away from Rashel and out of bed in an instant. Rashel followed quickly, throwing on her ripped leather jacket out of habit. The light was still dancing in her, making her feel a bit lightheaded and a lot giddy. As Quinn opened the door, Ash now stood there, looking grim.

"Hunter called. He doesn't realize I'm here, and with Mary-Lynette," Ash explained in a dark voice, "He's told me he's coming for the girls, to bring them back home." Quinn swore again, and said, "How are we all going to get away, without him tracking us down?"

"The girls are going to stay - and go back to the island with him," Ash admitted, "Theres no other way to get the rest of us out of danger. They will be fine back home, Hunter won't hurt them if they go along nicely. As for us, we'll grab a car in town and head for Vegas." He looked at Rashel, and his lip curled into an ironic grin, "Sure hope you live up to your reputation. From what I gather, there's quite the party heading his direction." Rashel nodded slowly, pulling out a lethal looking wooden stake from her pocket, "Yeah, I'm ready." Ash raised an eyebrow, and looked back at Quinn, "You would be mated with a vampire hunter.." Shaking his head, he ducked into his room to gather a few things.

"So, how are you at hot-wiring?" Kestral smirked, giving Quinn a feral look, "Unless you've gone soft on us now that your mated, cousin." Quinn scowled darkly at her, and Rashel interrupted before he could speak, "Wait, where's Timmy?" The room fell silent, and in an instant Quinn was at the cellar door, racing down the stairs at an speed Rashel could barely fathom. He met silence, an empty room, and a tiny, open window only a four year old could squeeze through.

"Damn it!" Quinn yelled, climbing the stairs back to the house, "ASH! We leave now. That little brat is probably halfway to Hunter Redfern by now, ready to tell him everything he saw here."

"We'll do our best to head them off," Rowan nodded, as Ash burst into the room, shouldering two sacks containing his and Mary's things. Rashel was momentarily grateful she didn't have anything with her, and she followed them outside, Quinn coming up behind her. Ash paused, scanning the forest. Distantly, Rashel could hear the engine of a vehicle, and in that moment Quinn disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Mary asked, surprised. Rashel bit her lip, and said, "I think he went to snag that vehicle." She forced her mind to relax for a moment, searching for his through their link. When she closed her eyes, she could almost see what he saw, and watched as he convinced the driver of the SUV to get out, and walk towards town. She breathed a sigh of relief, as Quinn climbed in and started to head back towards them.

"Come on," She insisted, and Mary hugged each of the three girls bidding them farewell. Rowan nodded, "Good luck. If you make it.." She trailed off, waving her hand as if to finish her sentence. Ash nodded, firmly pulling Mary towards the black vehicle rolling down the drive. Rashel followed, and a shout from the house made her turn around. Jade had disappeared for a moment, emerging from the house with what looked like a pellet gun.

"It has wooden pellets, I checked," She said, thrusting it into Rashel's hands, "If your driving, a knife won't be any use."

_'Excellent,'_ Quinn thought, _'Think you can use it?' _Rashel tested its weight, taking aim towards a nearby fencepost. She nodded, "I can." She got in the backseat with Mary, as Ash tossed their bags in the back and took the front passenger seat. Every window expect Mary's was down as Quinn took off, and Ash swore, "To the left." Rashel lifted the gun out the window, bracing it with the trigger covered by an index finger. She couldn't see any movement, but vampire eyesight was much better then human, and she sat tensed, ready to react at a moments notice. She felt Quinn's tension, rolling over her in waves.

_'Don't do anything stupid,'_ was all he thought, and Rashel fought the urge to glare at the back of his head. Suddenly, Mary gasped, and Rashel's eyes caught movement alongside them now, a vampire trying to keep Quinn's frantic pace. Aiming fast, she hesitated, then squeezed the trigger hard. The gun recoiled, but the shriek that came from the vampire was satisfying, and it lagged behind.

"God, how fast are we going?" Mary burst out, her fingers clenched into the seat. Rashel pumped the gun, and Ash hissed, "Get his heart next time, or we'll be doing this all day."

"Shut up," Quinn growled, eyes meeting Rashel's in the rearview mirror. She nodded, knowing he agreed with Ash but didn't want to come off as an ass. She unbelted her seatbelt, and leaned out the window, despite Mary's gasp at her to be careful. The vampire now had a friend, but she could only see the two of them, so she took aim on the uninjured one. Her hips held her in the vehicle as they bounced along the road towards the interstate, and she shot again, this time snagging her target in the chest. He stumbled and fell, and the first one faltered, as if deciding whether or not it was worth Hunter's rage if he were to give up the chase. Rashel didn't give him a chance to decide - another shot sounded, and he fell as well.

"Thats all of them for now," Quinn said, his eyes narrowly glancing at the trees around them, "But where there's Hunter Redfern, there's usually more."

"Let's just get to Vegas," Ash said, shooting Mary a reassuring look, "I believe our dear cousin James might have somewhere safe for us to stay, for awhile."

_'Another cousin?'_ Rashel thought grimly,_ 'God. How many vampires do you expect me to deal with in one day?' _Quinn didn't reply, but she felt his amusement as they reached the highway. She turned to look behind her at the bodies that were almost out of sight, and out of habit, whispered softly, "This kitten has claws." Ash's eyes met hers as she turned back towards the front, and he nodded, "Claws, yes. Kitten, no." Rashel raised an eyebrow, and Quinn smirked, "Was that a compliment, Redfern?"

"You wish," Ash smiled sweetly back at him, and Mary leaned closer to Rashel, "I think it was a compliment. Pretty close, anyways, for Ash.." Rashel let an amused grin reach her face as she heard Ash grumbling from the front seat. She sighed,_ 'This is going to be a long car ride...'_


	3. Helpless in Las Vegas

It was nearly dusk as they pulled into Las Vegas. They had been driving nearly all day, and Rashel was itching to get out of the confining vehicle. Quinn drove slower now, since they weren't being followed. Mary had long since fallen asleep, and Ash kept his eyes glued to the front. If he hadn't been blinking, Rashel would have assumed he was sleeping. The stillness vampires had unnerved her. Damn it, everything about vampires unnerved her. Every sense in her mind was telling her to get out while she still can. But, then her eyes would inevitably drift towards Quinn, and her traitorous heart would win the internal battle.

The strip was alight with lights, music, and people. The perfect place to hide in plain sight, she mused. Unable to hold it in any longer, she sighed, "How much further?"

"Almost there," Quinn mumbled, sounding tired,_ 'Rashel...'_ He trailed off, and Rashel frowned, _'Yes?'_ She could feel his hesitation, and she gently pushed his mind.

_'You need to know, we won't be accepted right away,'_ He said loftily,_ 'Ash and I have... less than stellar reputations.'_ Rashel snorted, _'Quinn, you have a reputation of being a bold, bloodthirsty monster. I realize we'll have problems.' _He nodded, and took a sharp left, pulling into an empty parking lot.

"We're here!" Ash announced, waking Mary-Lynette. They were behind a dingy apartment block, and as they climbed out, Rashel felt Quinn say, _'Once we get to Circle Daybreak, I think you and Mary should go in first, by yourselves.'_ Rashel frowned, turning to face him. The light from a nearby lamp flickered on, illuminating his face. He looked tense, dark circles under his eyes betraying his exhaustion from driving all day. She shook her head, "Quinn, we go in together. We're in this together." Ash and Mary watched as Quinn nodded, "I knew you would say that." He touched her cheek briefly, and turned to the apartment doors, "Well, lets get this over with." They walked to the building, and Ash hit a room number in on the phone attached to the door. It rang four times, and a cool voice answered, "May I help you?" The voice was female, a little hesitant. Ash leaned closer, and said, "Poppy. I trust you are doing well."

"Ash?" The voice asked, a little startled. There was a rustling sound, and a strong male voice said, "What do you want, Redfern?"

"Sanctuary," Ash smirked, and Quinn growled, "James. It's Quinn. We need.. Christ, just come down here, okay?" There was silence, and then a dial tone signaled the end of the conversation. Mary frowned, "Are they coming?" Quinn nodded, "He'll come. James has a good heart." He caught Rashel's look, and grinned, "He isn't like we are, Rashel. He's.. well, he's good." Rashel was saved from commenting as the door opened, a handsome young man leaning in it, arms folded. He raised an eyebrow, eyeing the two girls, and said, "Humans. You two?"

"Soulmates," Ash said, his teeth grinding together as James slowly smirked. He let out a low laugh, and said, "I knew it. I told you this would happen, Redfern!" Ash rolled his eyes, "Save it. We need to find Circle Daybreak."

"What makes you think I know where it is?" James asked, grin fading and his voice cautioned. Quinn cut Ash off, saying, "Ash said you turned a human girl, your soulmate, into a vampire to save her life. Which means, that according to the Night World law, your dead. Which also means your hiding out, since your still here. Please." Rashel put a hand on Quinn's back, rubbing softly. Saying please was not something he was used to, she realized, and James noticed as well. He hesitated, then nodded, turning around and leaving them standing in the open doorway.

"Well?" He called, not looking back. They followed after him, down a barely lit hallway, and to the room at the end. As they walked inside, a cheery looking girl smiled, "Hi, I'm Poppy!"

"Oh, I know," Ash said as he walked in, and Poppy's smile faded, "It WAS you..." James shot Ash a look, and Ash sighed, "Look, I'm sorry-"

"Not right now,": Poppy interrupted, taking Mary and Rashel's hands, "Can I get you anything? You both look tired." Mary entered an animate conversation as they walked towards the living area, but Rashel hung back. She wasn't used to other girls, or friends, for that matter. Her closest friends had been vampire hunters, before Quinn. They would drop dead from shock if they could see her now.

"Rashel, is it?" James's smooth voice asked. She turned, eyeing him as she nodded warily. He smiled warmly, gesturing to the hall, "There's a bathroom down there, if you need it. And help yourself to anything in the fridge - we keep it stocked with just the basics, because Poppy just can't get used to not needing food." Rashel offered him a tight smile, nodding her thanks as she set off down the hall as the vampires struck up a conversation.

After indulging in a few human moments, Rashel made her way back down the hall to the open living space. The men - no, vampires, she corrected herself quickly, were all there. She heard feminine voices from a room she passed, assuming Poppy and Mary were in there together. She leaned in the doorway, arms folded, as Ash said, "So, you taking us or not?" James raised an eyebrow, and shrugged, "Sure, what the hell. I'll take you, but that doesn't mean Thierry will let you waltz right in. Especially you, Quinn. There's too many non-vampires to risk that kind of acceptance." Quinn nodded, and laughed bitterly, "For Christs sake, I'll try to convince him." His eyes finally noticed Rashel, and his mind hummed,_ 'For your sake._' She nodded, and said, "When do we go?"

"Once the grown ups have a little snack," Ash grinned, and Rashel tried to control the bad feeling in her stomach. A door opened behind her, and Poppy smiled, "We have some saved in the fridge - I'll stay." James nodded, kissing her cheek briefly as he went for the door. Ash gave Mary a reassuring smile, brushing her cheek with his fingers, and Quinn merely looked at Rashel,_ 'Your sickened._' Rashel cursed their mental bond, and tried her best to clear her mind of any thought on the matter. Quinn didn't push the matter, but turned instead, walking out without another word.

"What was that all about?" Poppy asked, frowning. Mary gave Rashel a sympathetic smile, "Quinn and Rashel have only known they were soulmates for a few days. They are still trying to get used to it, I think." Rashel nodded, giving in to her feminine side as he admitted, "We can't relate. For years, we hunted each others kind. Hell, hunted each other if you want to get technical. Now all of a sudden I'm dealing with his blood thing, and he has to listen to my mental rundown of how to kill every vampire we run into, friend or foe. No offense," She said quickly to Poppy, who shrugged it off. It was hard to remember Poppy was one of them.

"Once we reach the Circle, it will get better," Mary insisted, "Ash and I were the same way. Sort of. It took me a long time to accept who he was before we met. It helped me to look at who he was working to become. For instance, has Quinn drank any human blood since you connected?" Rashel frowned, thinking back, "Not that I can recall. Definitely not since we got away from Hunter Redfern."

"See? Before, he wouldn't think twice about it," Mary continued, "It shows he's making that effort." Rashel turned the words over in her mind, and resisted the urge to hit her head against a wall. Sighing, she said, "I'm not cut out for this crap. I can hardly remember a time when I wasn't alone. This damn Circle better be worth it." Poppy smiled, and merely said, "It will be."

By the time the males returned, it was almost midnight. Rashel was trying to avoid nodding off in front of the television, with Mary sleeping on the couch next to her. Poppy let them in, and Rashel didn't turn around to look. She could sense Quinn, but also sense the fevered energy now radiating off him. She understood that it wasn't the travelling that had exhausted him so, it was travelling with only the barest of animal blood in his system. He now felt eager, and ready to go.

"I spoke with Theirry," James said conversationally, "Poppy, can you be ready to go fairly soon? Tonight, there are few staying at the mansion - its the only chance they have to see him for awhile." Poppy hurried to change, and soon they were riding the elevator to the main level.

"How far?" Rashel asked, as they climbed into the SUV.

"Just a few minutes," Poppy smiled, and they drove in near silence. Mary was wringing her hands nervously, and as Quinn was directed to take a sharp left, leading through a heavy iron gate, Rashel felt the first pangs of nerves. What if they were turned away? Where could they go?

_'Whatever happens, we'll stay together,' _Quinn's voice reminded her. She sensed the same nerves in him, but knew he was trying to hide them behind his reassurances. Mentally, she encircled him with her mind, squeezing as if hugging. He glanced in the rear view mirror, and gave her a soft smile, one she had seen so few times on his lips. They pulled into a large area in front of a sprawling mansion, and Quinn stopped the car, getting out slowly as if to show he meant no harm. Ash copied his movements, and Mary and Rashel followed with James and Poppy.

"Quinn, Redfern." A low voice said their names, and Quinn and Ash turned, seeing a man standing to the left of the main doors. Rashel would have thought him to be a doorman, or a butler, if not for the immense presence of pure power radiating from him. She knew instantly it was the man called Thierry, one of the oldest vampires to walk the earth. His arms were folded, his eyes on no one but the two he spoke to. "James tells me you have business here. What, pray tell, do you want?"

"Sanct-" Ash began rudely, but Quinn interrupted, "We want in, Thierry. Into Circle Daybreak." He paused, but when nothing was said in response, he hesitated, then took Rashel's hand, leading her up the stairs, "Thierry, we go back. I knew you once, before I turned into what I was. Believe me. This is Rashel, my soulmate." Rashel met Thierry's unyielding gaze, and nodded, "Hello. I've.. Hah, well, I've heard so much about you." This brought an amused smile to Thierry's face, and he nodded, "And you, Rashel the Cat. To me, you are far more dangerous then John Quinn." Beside her, Quinn stiffened,_ 'I didn't think.. How could I not realize that. You've killed far more of us then we have._' Rashel bowed her head, and said, "Please." The single word held so much meaning for her, and Thierry watched her for another moment, before turning to Ash, and addressing him. Rashel turned into Quinn, letting a little emotion seep out as she sighed, "God, Quinn." His arm pulled her closer, face nestled into the curve of his neck, "He believes us. He has to. That's what Circle Daybreak is about." Thierry turned back from Ash and Mary, and nodded, "Your correct, that IS what Circle Daybreak is about. But you'll forgive me if I have a few reservations. Most of the Circle is out right now, on missions or just at their own homes. You can stay tonight - after which, well discuss this as a Circle. They deserve the right to make the decision." With that, he turned, opening the doors to his house, and walked inside.

"Well, we're heading back," James shrugged, snagging the keys from Quinn's surprised fingers, "You better go, I don't think the offer will stand for long." Without another word, James and Poppy climbed into the SUV, roaring down the drive to the lights and the city below. Mary went to speak, but a voice cut her off, bellowing, 'WELL? Are you coming or not?" Quickly, Rashel took Quinn's hand, and pulled him into the bright foyer. Thierry was already speaking, "... go to the left, boys to the right. First doors down the hall, two to a room. Don't leave the grounds, or you will find your invitation revoked." Quinn nodded, "Thank you." The gravity of his words hung in the air, and Thierry turned back, a tight smile on his lips, "You can thank me once you've proved yourselves. Be ready for a little action, tomorrow evening." With that, he strolled up the staircase. Rashel noticed a pretty girl with long, straight blond hair waiting for him at the top of the "boys" stairs. Hand in hand, they disappeared down that hallway.

"So this is Circle Daybreak's Headquarters," Ash mused, looking around, "Much nicer then my apartment. Hell, its nicer then any apartment I've ever been in. Guess the action tomorrow night might be worth it." Mary poked him, smiling, and Rashel caught Quinn's eye. _'I'm beat. I'll see you tomorrow.'_ He nodded, and she tugged Mary's elbow, pulling her out of a kiss with Ash and up the staircase. The hall was very plush, a thick carpet under their feet, and they entered the first room they saw.

"I'm so glad we made it," Mary sighed, falling backwards onto her bed. Rashel smiled, finally rolling her shoulders to relieve some of the tension that was knotted there, "Agreed." She sat on the bed and began to take her boots off, putting any weapons down on the table beside her bed. She laid back with a big sigh, and felt her eyes closing heavily against her will, the lights dimming to flickers dancing behind her eyelids.

"Quinn really cares about you," Mary mumbled, sounding as tired as Rashel felt. When she didn't reply, Mary sighed, rolling over as she continued, "You'll see it one day soon." Rashel's light snore made her smile, and drift off as well.

**AN: Thank you to those who have reviewed, and to those who aren't but are following the story, please do :) I would love to hear compliments and criticism, and will used it all to improve the story as much as I can. **

**Ch. 4 Teasers: Entitled 'Moonlight', Quinn and Rashel find a peaceful moment in their chaotic and ever-changing world.**


	4. Moonlight

Rashel slept unevenly, relaxed by Mary's steady breathing across the room from her. It was still dark, and Rashel kept waking and drifting off back to sleep. Her mind was soaring through events of the past few days. She looked at the clock, and sighed - 4 am. A few hours until dawn. She wasn't sure what they would do all day until they met with the Circle, but she was ready to bet it involved staying in their rooms.

A sudden knock at her door made her jump, surprising her. She barely managed to catch it - if she had been sleeping any deeper, she wouldn't have heard. As if the knocker did so softly on purpose, not wanting her to answer. She padded across the room, sleepy eyes slowly becoming more alert as she turned the handle, opening the door slowly.

"Howdy, cowboy," she said, leaning in the doorjamb. Quinn had his arms folded, his body almost hidden by the shadows in the hall. He was wearing snug black pants, and a grey jacket that looked to be of another time. Wordlessly, he held out a thick sweater, and she raised an eyebrow, shrugging it on, "Whats gotten into you?"

"Come," he merely insisted. She slipped the door closed, leaving Mary still fast asleep, and followed Quinn down the grand staircase. The house was eerily silent, the only noise being Rashel's feet on the plush carpet. He led her to the right, through a few large rooms, and into a kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" He asked finally, and she shook her head wordlessly. He nodded, continuing through a small back door almost hidden from view. The room they emerged in looked to be a laundry room, its bare settings not matching the rest of the house. There was a door outside, and Quinn opened it for her, the night air a burst of cool on her face. She closed her eyes, inhaling the deep, floral smell of the sprawling gardens around the mansion.

"This is the inner courtyard," Quinn explained, as they walked down a stone path, "Its completely filled with garden, Thierry hires humans to take care of it during the day. I thought you might... want a little break from everything." She nodded, unsure of what to say back. Instead, she gave him a mental squeeze. He took that as reassurance, and took her hand, letting them walk down the narrow path in silence.

Soon, they emerged in what Rashel assumed was the center of the garden. A beautifully sculpted fountain stood proudly in the middle, with a black flower adorning the top. The symbol of the night world. Rashel stared at it for a minute, and Quinn softly wondered,_ 'Do you ever wish you had just stayed away from the island? That you hadn't gotten yourself chosen to find out what was going on?' _Rashel hesitated, then shrugged,_ 'For the amount of vampires that died, it was worth it.. No offense' _She added the last part belatedly, after she felt his involuntary cringe. They sat on the edge of the fountain, the soft spray refreshing to Rashel's hot face.

_'I wish you never had.'_ Quinn stated this in almost a cynical voice, and Rashel snorted, switching to her voice as she asked, "What, second thoughts? Its a little late for that, John Quinn."

"No," He said, making her turn towards him, "That's not what I meant. I meant that I wish we weren't being hunted by both of our kinds. That we had somewhere to turn to, other then waiting in this bloody house for another night to find out if we stay or go." The back of his fingers brushed her cheek, and he whispered, "Even when we first met, when you knocked me out cold, I never regretted it. I'm tired, Rashel. I've done too much, lived through too many horrible things. How do you know you can get past that?" He turned his eyes away, back to the ever-changing water, and closed them tight. She could feel his mind trying not to let hers in too far, and instead of pushing, she put her hand on his arm, leaning her forehead down against his shoulder, "My mind keeps telling me to get the hell out of here. But, for some strange kick of fate, that's not an option for me anymore, John." He hadn't responded until he heard her use his first name, and when he turned back, she boldly kissed him, warm lips meeting cool ones.

_'Rashel..'_ He thought her name, over and over as the kiss deepened. She ran her fingers through his dark hair, and his arms slipped around her waist, pulling her closer as if she weighed as much as a feather. She felt a jolt of shock when she realized his fangs were growing, little sharp points jutting out from the rest of his teeth.

_'Strong emotion triggers it,' _he explained as he sensed her tiny hesitation_, 'Anger. Passion.'_ She understood, and hesitated, before running her tongue carefully over one, and then the other. His answering moan sent shivers through her body, and after a soft, quick bite to his lower lip, she pulled back, breathing erratically, studying him. He was breathing hard too, his eyes opened wider then normal, as if he was surprised. His pupils were pure black, now, completely taking over his eyes. He ran his fingers through her hair, pulling the band out of her ponytail to let it fall to her shoulders, "Christ, Rashel. I love you."

_'I love you to.' _She said this solidly, through her mind. She wanted him to know it wasn't just a response for her, that it was deep, something that could never be broken. As she rested her head on his chest, she let him explore her mind, searching through the complicated emotions that made her who she was.

_'You didn't feed on humans,'_ she thought, surprised, as he showed her where he went with James and Ash earlier. Quinn shook his head, '_No. None of us did.'_ She leaned back, studying his face, _'Its hard for you.'_

_'Jumping from humans to animals is a big leap,'_ he admitted, _'It is hard. Especially when I can see your beautiful vein beating just, there.' _His finger ran down the side of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. She stared at him for a long moment, thoughts flitting through her mind faster then he could grasp onto one. Finally, she shifted, leaning her head to the right. As her fingers brushed her hair to her other shoulder, she followed his eyes as he still stared at her neck, first in lust, then in shocking realization.

"Rashel-" He started, but she shook her head firmly, "I know what to expect, Quinn. I spoke with Mary and Poppy. I... I want to." He stared at her, still shocked, and she met his gaze strongly, nodding, _'I do. This isn't something I ever thought I would want. But I want this, John.'_ As she confirmed it again, he let out a low growl, his eyes taking on a feral tone. She felt his arm come around her waist, pulling her almost into his lap, her forehead coming down to rest on his shoulders as she felt his lips press against her neck. At the first graze of his teeth, Rashel gasped, and felt Quinn freeze, "I've never done it like this before. Did that hurt?" She shook her head, unable to speak. Gripping his hair with her free arm, she guided him back to her neck, and felt a stinging pain as his teeth sunk into her vein. For the first few seconds, it stun like mad, but as he drew more and more blood, the pain dulled to an ache, the ache to a throb, and the throb emerged into something similar to the feeling of electricity running down your body. She shivered, clutching him closer, kissing his neck as he fed from hers.

_'Oh Rashel,' _his mind whispered, _'I wish we could just leave. Just us. We can handle it, I swear I'll take care of you. Please.'_ She could feel him slowing, preparing to detatch from her neck, and she shook her head,_ 'We can't anymore, Quinn. We're invested, just like all the other damned Daybreakers.' _ She heard him sigh, and felt the swipe of his tongue over the puncture wounds, sealing them up to prevent further blood loss. Instead of moving away from her neck, he placed tender kisses, ones she had no idea he was capable of giving. Meeting her eyes, he frowned, and said, "You look pale. How do you feel?"

"Seriously?" Rashel laughed, feeling slightly dizzy, "I just let a vampire drink my blood. And I haven't offed myself yet. That should be a good sign." A thin smile appeared at his lips, and he pulled her tight against his chest, settling against the fountain to enjoy the night awhile longer. She felt her eyes grow heavy, and as she drifted off to sleep, she heard him softly whisper, "I'll take care of you, Rashel."

**AN: Short chapter, but I wanted Quinn and Rashel to enjoy a moment together during their current craziness. Please review. I know you hear that a lot, but I have been making a big effort to review every story I read lately, in hopes the karma will come back my way. :) Next chapter coming by 7/8/10.**


	5. The Last Act Of Lily Redfern

When Rashel woke, she was momentarily disorientated. The last thing she remembered was dozing off on Quinn's shoulder, outside by the fountain. As her mind cleared from sleep, she reached her fingers up, brushing against her slightly tender neck. She cast a quick glance to confirm Mary was already awake and gone, and she slid out of bed, padding over to the floor-length mirror. Brushing her hair aside, she eyed the two puncture marks just south of her left ear. She stared for a few minutes, then shook her head, unsure how she felt about them. Quickly, she brushed her hair to the side, catching it in an elastic to hide the marks.

_'Rashel, Thierry is ready to see us,' _Quinn's voice drifted through her sub-conscious. She quickly threw her clothes back on, and left the room, going down the grand staircase and, following the invisible tug she felt connecting her to Quinn, into a very plush living area. Already seated were Mary and Ash, fingers curled together on the loveseat. Thierry stood, speaking to a girl with long, straight blonde hair. Quinn stood on the opposite side of the room, staring out a large window. When she entered, he flicked his gaze over, and then down to where her hair hid her neck. She thought she could see a slight frown touch his lips, but his mind was closed to her, so she couldn't be sure.

"You slept well, I presume?" Thierry asked nicely, as if they were old friends. She nodded, seating herself gently on a couch, "Yes, thank you." He held her gaze for a few seconds longer, then turned back, "Ash, Quinn. You need to understand why we are taking precautions. We've known each other for far to long to do otherwise." Ash nodded, and Quinn said, "We understand, Thierry. You want us to prove ourselves useful and loyal to Circle Daybreak." Thierry nodded, taking the hand of the blond, and smiled, "This is Hannah, my soulmate. We got word from Morgead Blackthorn this morning. Hannah?" Hannah smiled, turning her body slightly into Thierry's, and explained, "There's another attempt at a slave trade. We know Hunter is behind it, but we don't know who is calling the shots at the warehouse they are collecting girls at."

"Is Morgead-?" Ash started, leaving the question unopened. Thierry nodded, "He and Jezebel Redfern have proven themselves valuable to the Circle. They are near the warehouse, monitoring who is coming and going, but they haven't seen someone in charge yet. We need to get inside further, but vampires are too easy to detect.." He trailed off, glancing at Rashel. Her mouth set into a grim line.

"You want Rashel to go in?" Quinn asked, his voice carefully neutral. Thierry nodded, "I know you have the skill level, and you won't be alone. Quinn, go along. Jez and Morgead will be there also."

"What do we do?" Mare asked cautiously. Thierry smiled, "You, my dear, are more then welcome into Circle Daybreak. Ash, I want you to go with Delos to a club downtown, and clear it out. It shouldn't be a big job." Ash nodded, giving Mary-Lynette a smile. She smiled back.

"I've got to go to a council meeting - There are vehicles in the garage, the keys are hanging on the wall. Good luck. Report back as soon as your done." They all nodded silently, and Thierry left with Hannah, who gave them a smile as a goodbye.

"You okay with this?" Quinn asked Rashel, breaking the silence. She nodded, "Yeah. You?" He nodded. Ash snorted, "Well, now that the pleasantries are done, I'm going to go meet Delos now. I haven't seen him in years. I wonder why Thierry would let a Wild Power out on missions.." He got up, and Mary jumped up too, following him to his room to keep him company. Quinn checked his watch, and said, "We better go soon, they'd be more active at night. Get there before the leader does. Do you need to grab anything?"

"Nope," Rashel said, jumping up from the couch. She felt the familiar anticipation of a fight spreading like adrenaline from her chest, and Quinn gave her a wry smile, "Don't get too excited about getting the big bad vampires.."

"Sorry," she said, trying to calm the feeling, "Habit." As they walked into the garage, Quinn grabbed a set of keys, clicking on the large black SUV in the back. He climbed in, and she got into the passenger seat.

"Do you know where we're going?" She asked, as they exited the garage. He nodded, "I've known Jez and Morgead for a long time, and I remember Morgead's place being very close to the warehouse district downtown. I'd bet they are there." Rashel nodded, and they drove in silence, until they hit the seedier part of town. They stopped, and went into an apartment building, climbing right to the top. They emerged on the roof, a small penthouse the only building left.

"You can see most warehouse's from here," Quinn observed, glancing out over the roofs as he rapped on the door. A girl with flaming red hair opened it, and grinned a toothy grin, "Hey, Quinn. Fancy seeing you as a Daybreaker."

"Back at you, Redfern," Quinn said, stepping inside. Morgead was lounged on the couch, his eye on a computer screen which held several live camera feeds from the warehouse they were watching. Rashel, ignoring her warning feeling from being close to two obviously dangerous vampires, said, "I'm Rashel."

"Thierry told us." Morgead replied, "Come here, this is where you're going.." She walked over, sitting on the couch in the spot his legs vacated for her and watching the screen. She studied each camera frame, memorizing the details. In low voices, Quinn and Jez discussed where they would be positioned in case Rashel needed backup. As the sun began to lower, Morgead clapped Rashel on the back, standing and saying, "Time to go, vampire hunter."

"Don't call her that," Quinn scowled, and Rashel frowned as she thought,_ 'Upset about something?'_ She was about to pass him, following Morgead outside, and Quinn snapped his arm out, taking her hair from its tie in one smooth motion. He scowled, _'Next time don't try to hide it so hard.'_

Rashel felt instantly guilty, and she mumbled, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Look, we can talk later. We gotta go," Morgead insisted, checking the suns position. Quinn nodded to him, placing a soft kiss on Rashel's cheek, "Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"Me, stupid?" She asked innocently. He snorted, and shoved her lightly towards the door, "I'll be here. If you need any help, ANY help, yell. I'll know." She nodded, and gave him one last look. Then, she followed Morgead out of the apartment building. She had borrowed one of Mary's scarves before she left the mansion, and she used the walk as a chance to wrap it in her usual fashion - so that only her eyes showed. Morgead eyed her, but didn't say a word about it.

They walked on the sidewalk for a block, then cut through the yard of an empty warehouse. He nodded ahead, and whispered, "This is the one. Ill be right here. If you yell, I'll hear. I've got this place wired to my cell phone." Rashel nodded, and she shrugged out of her leather jacket. The night was cool, but it was still a bit shredded, and she didn't need the hindrance.

"Remember, we need names, or pictures if you can't identify them," he reminded her as she walked away. She rolled her eyes, but nodded back anyways, and she silently climbed the wooden fence into the next warehouse's yard. It was silent as a crypt, but she saw one burning light on the inside, and she knew she was at the right place. A few windows down, there was a broken pane of glass, and she slipped to that window as quietly as possible, reaching in and finding the latch.

She climbed in, and found herself in a hallway. The light was burning in a room at the end of the hallway, and she paused, listening for movement. None. She crept towards the room, and stopped one room early. She had peeked inside, and saw that the two rooms were really one, with a large, flimsy divider down the middle to create two offices. She went in the dark room, and walked right up to the divider. Yep, there were the voices. Bingo.

She positioned her cell phone so the speaker faced out, and hoped that Jez could get a reading from them back at Morgead's house. Pressing her ear to the divider, she heard someone saying, "... Move them tomorrow night. He wants them there the day of, so we don't have a repeat of last week."

"We won't," a feminine voice said, bluntly. It made Rashel's heart skip a beat - it couldn't be...

"What if Quinn comes back?" The first voice asked, clearly worried. There was a cruel laugh, and the female replied, "He won't. Ill slit his throat, not not before he watches that bitch die in agony first." Ah. Rashel figured she knew who 'the bitch' was. She smiled, almost a feral smile. Bring it on, Lily Redfern. She knew who was in charge now. Time to get out.

She turned to leave, but suddenly, the door she came in through slammed closed as someone walked down the hallway and carelessly pushed on it. She froze, completely in the dark now. She inched over to it, and listened to the retreating footsteps. She glanced down at the door, and swore under her breath. It had latched, which meant it could or could not be noisy when she reopened it. Shit.

_'Get out of there,'_ Quinn thought to her over the bond. She was starting to get slightly worried, and she sent back, _'Someone closed me into a room. I can either break a window or open a latched door.'_

Quinn replied with a very bad word, and he thought,_ 'Hang out, I'll create a diversion.' _She breathed a sigh of relief. Her warning bells were going off, telling her to get the hell out of that warehouse. Methodically, she killed time waiting for Quinn by checking all of the windows, hoping she missed something. Nope, all latched.

In the distance, she heard a sudden crash. An inhuman growl came from the other side of the divider, and she knew Lily was on the move. Cautiously, she opened the door as quickly as possible, slipping into the hallway and closing it behind her. Lily had disappeared at the end of the hallway already, and Rashel took a chance and darted into the office. There were papers here and there, but instead of seeing what she was grabbing, she just grabbed a whole handful off the desk, taking off at a run down the hallway. The bond was sparkling somewhere in the warehouse to her left - where Quinn was, would be where the action was. Instead, she turned right, knowing it was her job to get out and back to Morgead's. She reached her window, stopping to open it and shimmy out. She went head first, and as her legs followed, something clamped painfully around her ankle. She cried out in alarm, and felt the nails digging into her skin as Lily Redfern started to pull her back inside the warehouse. She was furious - snarling, instead of talking. Rashel gripped the window frame, and pulled as hard as she could. She gained a few inches, and she tossed the papers to the close ground so she could push harder, all the while thanking the goddess she had worn a scarf to protect her face.

"Who sent you?" Lily shrieked, finding her voice again. Rashel aimed a kick to her face, but it was evaded, and with one hard yank she was back inside the building. She tried to get to her feet, but Lily held her down, her iris's dilated and red. She was pissed.

Rashel reached down to grab her knife, knowing she needed to get off the ground. Lily Redfern was fast, though. Too fast. She grabbed Rashel's wrist before she could reach the knife, and with one twist, and one flare of excruciating pain, it was snapped.

_'RASHEL'_ Quinn's voice yelled in her head. She rolled over as Lily reared back to strike with her fangs, and she furiously thought, '_Quinn, I need you, Quinn, help, Quinn PLEASE'._ His thoughts were a mantra of her name, and she knew he was tearing through the building, trying to get to her. She rolled again to avoid Lily, and she kneed her stomach. It surprised the raging vampire, and Rashel flipped them over, rolling with her to gain the top position. A flare of fire in her arm made her know that Lily had bit her, and she tried to twist her arm out of the way. But a vampire's grip was strong.

While Lily drank, she stood, dragging Rashel up off the ground with her. God, she was strong. Rashel had no idea vampires could get this strong. But Lily was very old. Her innocent, sixteen year old face meant nothing. Lily hissed in her face, and gave her a smile that bordered on insanity.

"I'm going to make you mine," she hissed, in a high-pitched voice, "You'll see. You'll bow to me, Cat." She slammed Rashel into the wall, making all of the air leave her chest as she slid down to the flood. Lily grabbed Rashel's wooden knife, and sliced open the main artery in her wrist. Blood spurted from it, and she shoved it into Rashel's face. Rashel fought the urge to scream, and fought as hard as she could, but Lily wormed her wrist into Rashel's mouth, and then jammed it between her teeth. Hot, fiery blood poured down Rashel's throat, making her feel giddy and light headed as it filled her. As she did this, Lily bit into Rashel's arm once more, and Rashel began to lose consciousness. _'I love you Quinn..'_

"GET OFF HER!" Quinn roared, bursting into the room. But Lily was completely absorbed in what she was doing, and as Quinn pulled out a large, wooden stake, Rashel's eyed rolled to the back of her head, and she passed out.


	6. Vampires Don't Cry

Darkness.

Rashel couldn't even see her fingers. When she opened her eyes moments ago, the sensation of not seeing anything had scared her. Was she blind? No, she didn't feel like she was blind. She felt like she was in the dark. Laying down, in the dark.

She stretched her hands out in front of her, frowning as she hit a wall made of some kind of wood. Okay, that's another clue. She was laying down in a dark space, surrounded by wood if the paneling under her back was any indication.

Her mind was groggy, and it took her a moment to put those very important clues together. When she did, she drew in a sharp breath.

She was in a coffin.

_Shit. Shit, shit, SHIT._ She closed her eyes, preferring her darkness to be self-induced. She stayed like that for a minute, wondering why in the hell she was in a coffin. Where was Quinn? Wouldn't he know she wasn't dead? The last time she'd seen him, they were in Thierry's manor, like every other day. Her memory was a little hazy - she knew they had been sent on a mission. But she wasn't dead.

As she thought, a nagging part of her brain was asking her why she wasn't worried. If she'd pictured herself in this position before, she would have imagined freaking out, her heart racing. Curiously, she put her hand to her chest. It felt normal.

Wait. She pressed harder, straining to feel something, anything inside her chest. When she didn't, she reached up automatically, touching her teeth.

"Oh god." She whispered this, but it sounded extremely loud in the tiny space. Suddenly, she needed to feel air. She needed out of that god damn coffin. In panic, she thrust her arm upwards, splintering wood and spilling dirt down in trickles onto her face. Encouraged, she punched upwards again, breaking the wood further.

When the coffin was just about ready to splinter completely, she shifted to the head of the coffin, trying to escape the mound of dirt that fell in on her. Distantly, her ears picked up a crunching sound, like the sound of someone walking in the dirt above her. She reached up with both arms, shoveling dirt out of her way as she tried to make a path towards the surface. She dug until she could stand in the coffin, then she made a foothole, pushing upwards again. She knew her fingers broke through when she felt air hit them. Not warm air, or cold air. Just air. She shivered, and threw her other arm up, working to pull herself free.

As she gained another foot, a hand touched hers, making her start. When it grasped her hand again, she felt a warmth flick on in her mind. She didn't know how she knew, but her bond was telling her one thing.

Quinn.

She shoved herself upwards, and with a shower of dirt her upper body emerged into a shallow hole she assumed Quinn had dug down towards her. She gasped, even though she didn't need to breath like that. With her body half in the dirt still, she laid her head down, feeling the air stir around her with her heightened senses. She was still groggy, and her mind was spinning. Quinn's fingers never left hers, and she heard his rich voice ask, "Rashel? Do you want me to pull you?"

"No," She replied, her voice sounding so much different then she remembered. It almost sounded like she sang the word. She pulled the rest of her body out of the dirt, going as far as to get out of the hole Quinn had dug to lay in the grass. Her eyes hadn't opened since she emerged, and now, she slowly opened them.

It was night, and there were hundreds of stars in the sky. Thousands. Far more then she'd ever been able to see before. Everything seemed more defined - the tree branch above her had visible groves and notches, even from far below. She turned her head as she heard Quinn jump out of the hole, and their eyes met, sending a shock through their bond. She never noticed how devastatingly beautiful he was.

"What happened?" She asked, in that terrible sing-song voice. Quinn exchanged a look with someone, and when she turned her head the opposite way, she saw Thierry. Behind him, she could see numerous people she knew to be Circle Daybreakers - James Rasmussen and a brunette female vampire, Jez and Morgead. Ash, and another male who held himself almost regally. Scratch that. Numerous vampires.

"Our mission went wrong," Quinn said, in a hoarse voice. She sat herself up as he crouched beside her, touching her cheek softly, "You barely made it out, Rashel. But they..." He trailed off, looking uncertain. But Rashel knew, already. She knew what had happened.

"My deepest apologies," Thierry said, crouching on her other side. He looked sadder then Rashel had ever seen someone look, and he shook his head, "This wasn't meant to happen. I shouldn't have sent you on such a dangerous mission to prove yourself."

"Did I?" She asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Did you what?" Thierry replied, uncertain. Quinn snorted, reading through their bond and answering for her, "She wants to know if she proved herself." This made Thierry slowly smile, and he nodded, "You did, Rashel. Your all welcome at Circle Daybreak, if you still choose to stay with us."

"Where else would we go?" Rashel asked blankly. Quinn took her hand, rubbing it gently, and she began to take deep breaths as the last few minutes she could remember came back to her. She felt like passing out again. Here she was, covered in dirt and being stared at like she was a cancer patient with no hope of survival. She wished she knew if she still had the ability to cry or not. Nope, she was fairly certain she didn't, or she would be crying like a baby right now. Instead, she opened her mouth to speak, looking at Quinn with desperate eyes. It wasn't a question she asked, but it was a statement.

"I'm a vampire, aren't I."

* * *

**A/N: Short chapter, I know. But I put up a longer one a few minutes ago, for Chapter 5. And the following chapter will be almost two times as long :) I don't believe in limiting myself to word count - how often do you see novels with the exact same amount of words per chapters? I once read a book where one whole chapter contained one line, 'I must get back to the sea.' Anyways, thank you to all who have supported this story so far. I hope your enjoying it - and please don't flame me too much for turning Rashel over. I fully believe she will make this story work as a vampire. Comments are greatly appreciated though :) - Avalon Ryan**


	7. Vamp Skills 101

"Rashel? Are you okay in there?" Quinn's voice called to her through the bathroom door. The first thing Rashel had wanted to do when they got to Thierry's mansion was shower. She was covered in dirt - no, even worse. She was covered in grave dirt. From her grave. She shuddered, leaning her forehead against the tile wall. The water pooling at her feet was a muddy brown, and she stayed that way until it finally ran clear. She was dimly aware that she hadn't responded to Quinn - but, since she could still feel him through their bond, she knew he was still on the other side of the door waiting for her.

Yet, she took her time. She couldn't bare to see the look in his face - the look that hadn't left since she'd emerged from the ground earlier that night. She hadn't seen anyone else in the mansion, other then those vampires she crawled out to. Something told her they had been told to stay away for now. As she stepped out of the shower, she spied her silver switchblade sitting innocently on the bathroom counter. Sure, it wasn't wood or anything, but she was certain it could do the job. She lifted it, stroking the soft, metal surface almost lovingly.

No. She couldn't kill herself yet. Well, she COULD kill herself. But she couldn't do that to Quinn like that. She wrapped the towel around her body, and hesitated only once before she reached out to open the door. She pulled like she normally would, but it whipped open, surprising her. Quinn was staring at her, waiting like she'd knew he would be.

"Come sit down," was all he said, and he walked over to their bed. She followed him, still wrapped in only her towel. She didn't care. As she sat, she whispered, "I should feel numb."

"What?"

"I always thought, that if I got turned, I would feel numb at first. But I don't feel anything. Not a single fricking thing," she almost laughed, and Quinn sighed, pulling her closer, "You'll feel, Rashel. It just takes a little time for your body to adjust." He would know, since he was made a vampire too, once. Her mind wandered back to a conversation they'd had once. He was going to turn her - but she told him if she was made a vampire, she'd kill herself the moment she woke. Quinn sensed what she was remembering, and scowled, "Don't even think about it, Rashel."

"I don't WANT-"

"I don't care!" Quinn exclaimed, shaking her lightly, "Don't you ever think like that. Your my soulmate. I'll help you."

"Help me what? Learn to use humans as nothing better then food?" She exclaimed in frustration, feeling a rush in her chest. It was almost like adrenaline - but she felt her body crouching, and was now standing on the balls of her feet. She knew, instinctively, that she could move in a split second from this position. Quinn eyed her warily, and said, "That's a natural reaction. You'll move past that too." She slowly straightened again, and felt the tiny points that were half-emerged from her mouth with her tongue.

She buried her face in her hands.

Quinn was at her side in a second, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her close, and whispered, "You can love, can't you? If I can be a vampire, and still love you, then you can still love me. We're in this together, Rashel."

"I don't want this!" She said, her voice muffled by his chest. He stroked her hair, mumbling soothing words. After awhile, he unwillingly said, "I think Thierry wants us to see him. When your ready." Rashel pulled back, and nodded, "I guess I'm as ready as I ever will be. How.. how do I look?"

Quinn smiled. He'd always found her beautiful, but now that she had vampire blood in her, she was breathtaking. Her skin was smooth and flawless, her eyes dark and enticing. Even her hair shone brighter. But there was something different in the way she held herself, too - almost feline in nature. He took her hand, kissing it tenderly, mumbling, "Incredible." She smiled - the first smile he'd seen from her since she came out, he realized. He considered it a small victory.

They left their room, walking in the silent, empty hallway. Rashel was thinking again about how all the Daybreakers who weren't vampires were probably locked away, safe and sound. Quinn caught the tail end of that thought, and nodded, thinking, '_They are. It's just a precaution. Don't take any offense._' She nodded, and tried not to.

Quinn led her straight to Thierry's large office, which was furnished with grand, lavish furniture. The vampire arm of Circle Daybreak was all there, lounging in some way or another. Jez offered Rashel a grin, and said, "You look great."

"Thanks," Rashel said, in a small voice. She winced - even she knew how defeated she sounded. She threw herself into a chair, still trying to get used to the speed and agility now available to her.

"How are you feeling?" Thierry asked, looking at her with concern. She shrugged, and Quinn explained, "She doesn't feel yet."

"It may take a day or two..." Thierry trailed off, and Poppy said, "That's how long I took. Really, Rashel. It won't take much longer then that, I promise." Rashel gave her a half-smile. She had liked Poppy when they were at her and James's place, and because Poppy was a made vampire around Rashel's age, she felt a sort-of kinship to the girl. Beside Poppy, Ash lounged on a day bed. He piped up, "At least your sturdier now."

"Excuse me?" Rashel asked, her voice cutting like ice. Ash shrugged, "Your harder to kill. Faster. Not.."

"Human?" Rashel growled, barely recognizing where it came from. Quinn put a hand on her back, and mumbled, "Control." Rashel took a deep, very unnecessary breath, and said, "Sorry, Ash. Yeah, I guess that's a good point."

"You don't look too happy," The regal vampire - Delos, she picked up from Quinn's head - observed. He was he leaning against the wall with his arms folded, and Rashel shrugged in his direction, "I'm supposed to be? Do you know what happened to Lily Redfern, Quinn?" Quinn glanced over to Thierry for a second, then looked back at Rashel as he sighed, "I staked her."

"What?" Rashel burst, almost laughing. She fought with herself, trying to control her sudden happiness. She was NOT this bloodthirsty. She looked down at soulmate, and said, "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I figured you had other things on your mind."

"So, what? Now you all get to babysit the poor, new vampire?" Rashel asked, looking at all her fellow Daybreakers levelly.

"No one is babysitting you," Morgead said, his arm slung around a comfortable Jez, "We're trying to help you, kid."

"I don't want your help! I don't want ANY OF THIS!" Rashel exclaimed, the sound reverberating off the walls. Quinn stood too, thinking, _'Rashel. Please calm down. I know your not happy about this. Hell, neither am I. You think I want a miserable soulmate? But we can all help you!'_ His mental lecture made Rashel feel guilty, and she felt her anger ebb away. A little embarrassed, she said, "Sorry. Look. I think I just want to go to bed. I don't want to think anymore." Thierry nodded, and said, "Okay. We'll talk again tomorrow evening."

"You really do look good," Ash grinned, sauntering over, "Sure you don't want to swap soulmates, Quinn?"

"I think Mare would behead you if she heard that," James snorted, taking Poppy's hand as they slipped out the office door. Jez shot Rashel a fierce smile, and said, "When your ready to learn how to track and hunt, come see me. I'm the best." She tossed her hair, and Morgead pulled Jez closer by the hip, giving her an elbow to the side, "WE, are the best." Rashel couldn't help but smile - at least she didn't get their indifference anymore. Thierry left with Delos, discussing a contact Delos's soulmate Maggie made with the human world. Finally, she and Quinn were alone.

"Do you want to go up? I just need to stop at the kitchen." Rashel frowned, following him out, "Why?"

"You need to eat," he said bluntly. Rashel stopped walking, grimacing. Quinn glanced back, and stopped as well, turning, "Rashel. It's either blood from the nice, clean bags in the kitchen, or blood from someone's neck."

"Well, when you put it THAT way.." Rashel sighed, "But I'll come. I don't want that... stuff, in our room."

"That stuff?"

"Blood."

"I know what you meant. Honestly, Rashel. I promise this won't be all bad. At least..." Quinn trailed off, digging through the vampire-only refrigerator. Rashel jumped gracefully onto the counter - something she'd never been tall enough to do before - and said, "At least..?" Without turning around, Quinn pulled out two bags, grabbing the nearby scissors. He kept his back to her as he softly said, "At least we can always be together now." He continued to open the bags, and Rashel stared at his back, surprised. She could always hear the tender things Quinn thought about her - but he rarely voiced them. Then again, they'd only been together a handful of days. They hadn't needed to voice those things yet. She felt a pang in her chest, and she rubbed it, frowning. When Quinn looked back at her, he asked, "What's wrong?"

_'I think I feel again,'_ she thought, taking the bag he offered. He smiled, not his usual smile, but a full, brilliant smile that used to make her heart skip a beat. He said, "I knew you'd realize you can feel still soon. I'm glad."

"How come?"

"Because kissing someone who doesn't feel isn't nearly as satisfying," he mumbled, lifting her chin gently. He placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth, moving in to kiss her deeper after a second. She put her hand on his chest, returning the kiss eagerly. As he pulled her hips closer, she made a small, contented sound as their bodies aligned. As his tongue swept over her bottom lip, she parted hers eagerly, and-

"Ouch." Quinn leaned back, looking momentarily surprised. Rashel frowned, but lifted her fingers to her mouth. Two fangs protruded fully from her gums. She looked down quickly, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Don't," Quinn said, grinning, "I'm not used to feeling them, is all. After time, you can control them a lot better. It's frustrating at first, though." Rashel nodded, sitting back with a sigh. The moment was over.

"Well, drink up," Quinn said, taking a sip out of the glass he'd poured his bag into. He'd purposely grabbed cups that weren't see through, and Rashel grimaced, fighting the urge to plug her nose as she took a tiny sip. And promptly turned and spat it out in the sink.

"I can't," she said, shaking her head quickly, "God, I just can't."

"You have to," Quinn reasoned gently. He looked thoughtful, and then said, "Close your eyes." She wrinkled her nose at him, but she did as she was told. She could feel this burning ache in her throat, and she figured that meant she really did need this blood. She heard nothing for a minute, and then felt a straw touch her lips. She jerked her head back, but Quinn's hand was there, holding her in place.

"Trust me." She did, opening her mouth and drawing tentatively on the straw. The coppery tang of blood was still there, but it was masked by.. something. She took another drink, then opened her eyes, taking the cup from Quinn's hand. All she could tell, what that the liquid in the straw was a dark red, almost a brown color.

"Worcestershire sauce," Quinn said proudly, "Sometimes, in Night World clubs, they spike blood with different flavors for a change. I remembered trying this kind and thinking it barely passed as blood." Rashel nodded, her lips slowly spreading to a smile, "Thanks, John." He touched her cheek, then said, "Tomorrow morning, I want to go to the forest."

"What for?" She asked, as they made their way towards their room. Rashel was still taking tiny sips from her cup - ever one felt like a little boost of energy. She still wanted to sleep, but she felt.. refreshed.

"I want to start teaching you a few things. You being a vampire could have its upside." He opened their door, locking it behind them. Rashel raised an eyebrow, "Upsides?" She climbed into their shared bed, resting her head on Quinn's chest as he turned off the light. He had taken his shirt off as they spoke, and his soft skin made Rashel rub her cheek against it gently. Quinn, after taking a minute or two to think, said, "You've know more technique and strategy then anyone else here. If we can master your new abilities fast enough, we can do a lot more for Circle Daybreak. Who says we couldn't convince Hunter we want to join him? Imagine. Getting on the inside. I don't think he would believe any other vampire here then me. But I'm too close to being his immediate family for him to not listen. I think this is the chance Circle Daybreak was waiting for." They went upstairs, discussing Quinn's idea until they'd worked out all the kinks and problems that were likely to come up. Having a plan helped Rashel sleep easier - she knew she wasn't just going to be sitting here, wasting away her never ending life in a mansion. She'd be with Quinn. That's all that mattered right now.

* * *

The next day was cool, but Rashel didn't feel the need to wear a sweater. Why bother, if you barely feel the elements? She had sprung out of bed faster then expected when she woke, and ended up tangled in the blanket on the floor. Quinn, doing his best not to laugh, had promptly left the room for breakfast, leaving her to discover just how fast she could put herself together now. All of her non-vampire friends were still absent, which made her both happy and sad. She didn't want them to be scared of her, but who knew how she might react to a human the first time? Quinn had asked her to meet him at the entrance to the forest at am, so Rashel ate breakfast quickly, and walked outside, spying him leaning against the gate. He smiled at her from across the yard, and though he was still far away, she heard him say in a regular voice, "Try running."

She frowned at him, but did as told. She started up into a jog - something she had done daily, before she was turned. Full of energy, she picked up her speed, pushing her legs into long strides. Slowly, the scenery around her began to blur, until she could only sense where objects were around her. She came up to Quinn, digging her feet in to slide to a stop. She wasn't even breathless. Her eyes were wide, and in her mind, she whispered through the bond, '_Wow_.' He gave her a grin, and said, "It gets better. Keep up!"

He took off, and Rashel raced after him, trying to follow his trail. She found it much easier then when she was human - his scent and their bond left such a strong trail that she didn't lose him once. He was fast, but she didn't fall very far behind him. They ran, dodging trees, rocks, plants. It made her feel free.

Quinn, after reading this in her mind, thought, _'This is what being a vampire is, Rashel. Feeling this way._' Too absorbed in what she was doing to think something back, she just sent him what she liked to call a mental hug - she sort of squeezed her mind around his end of the bond. She knew he smiled.

They had come further into the forest then she'd ever been - it would have taken them all day, at human speed. Quinn stopped, where a cliff edge met the start of the large lake that Thierry's estate bordered. She gave Quinn a big grin, and jumped on him, sending them tumbling back into the long grass. Laughing, she said, "What next, professor?" He stared up from underneath her, and smiled, "We're going swimming."

"Okay, how do we get down?"

"We jump."

Silence. Rashel raised both eyebrows, and said, "You want me to jump off a cliff? Maybe you aren't such a good teacher.."

"Trust me, you'll be fine. You did great in the forest - I know your ready for this," he insisted, getting up and helping her. She eyed the edge with a frown, peeking out and leaning back quickly, "No way."

"What if I go first?"

"No. Way." Instead of backing up like he thought she would, she took his hand, looking determined, "I'm a vampire. Let's get this over with." She laughed, which surprised her, and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek, before he pulled her over the cliff.

For a split second, Rashel felt a scream work its way into her throat. She _hated_ heights, and this cliff was easily fifty feet high. But, her body seemed to know what to do. She felt that same rush she had before - not adrenaline, but something more vampire-y. Her arms pointed forwards, the rest of her body following until she was in a diving position. Quinn had mirrored her movements, and as they neared the water, she forgot to be afraid. Instead, she felt a wild excitement blossoming in her mind.

To a human, the water would have been ice cold. To Rashel and Quinn, it was body temperature, so as they hit, she felt like she hadn't left the air. They dove deep, and she arched her body, going parallel with the approaching lake floor. Quinn was pushing his strong arms to swim ahead, and she followed. It felt strange, at first, not to surface for air. But she got used to it.

* * *

By the time they'd reached home later, she felt like she'd accomplished the basic vampire skills she knew all vampires had. Running and swimming were easy. She tracked fairly well, but Quinn pointed out that she would always be able to find him well. They would have to practice with someone else. On their way back, they had come across a deer with a large gash in its side. She had scented the blood from miles back, but as they found the poor creature, she couldn't bring herself to want to drink. Instead, she made Quinn wait as she slit its throat, to put it out of its misery. When Quinn wondered why she hadn't drank, she had defensively explained that she had enough human left in her not to want to. Instead, they made sure to grab bags from the kitchen, spiking Rashel's heavily with Worcestershire sauce. They had been gone all day, and as Rashel held her cup close, taking sips every minute or so, they went into the common area. This was there most of the Daybreakers spent their time while staying in the mansion.

As they entered, Rashel felt a jolt in her stomach, her throat muscles tensing. Blood. It was all she could smell. Looking around, she could see that it wasn't only vampires out now. They had all been given the okay. Which meant this was Rashel's test. She took a larger sip out of her cup, and Quinn glanced back, waiting patiently. He thought,_ 'Their friends, Rashel. I know you'll do fine._' She gave him a quick smile, trying to appear much braver then she felt. Of course, the bond quickly gave her away, and Quinn took her hand, walking with her. She looked around again, aware that all eyes were on her, whether it was direct or not.

_Well,_ she thought. Showtime.


	8. Marked

It seemed like they had walked in on an informal meeting. The room was packed full with people - almost all of them sitting in couples. Thierry was standing by the largest window, his hands behind his back and legs slightly spread. His youthful appearance was betrayed by the tired look in his eyes. All she could feel from him was _old_. Next to him, Hannah looked like a young child.

_'He was the first made vampire,'_ Quinn explained, not speaking aloud as he led Rashel to an unoccupied armchair. Jez gave her a nod as she passed her and Morgead, who were leaning against the wall. Rashel gave a tight smile back - vampire comraderie, she figured, was why Jez was being so welcoming now. Not that she was cold before, but she wouldn't have nodded at the human Rashel. Quinn gestured to the chair, and Rashel sat, feeling him move to stand right behind her. Thierry waited until she was situated, before saying, "Now, I believe you know most of the vampires in the group, but I doubt either of you've been acquainted with anyone else. It might be helpful if we could all introduce ourselves. Rashel and Quinn will be a strong addition to our fighting arm, and they want to get working right away."

"Well, you know us," Poppy said, elbowing James as she did, "And you know Ash and Mare. This is Keller, and her soulmate Galen." A girl with long, black hair offered a small smile, and the handsome boy beside her gave them a bigger one. Something was tugging inside Rashels mind - they weren't vampire. She didn't think they were werewolves. So-?

"We're shapeshifters," Keller supplied, seeing her slight confusion, "I lead most of the operations, it will be nice to have a little more firepower on our side for once."

"This is Maggie," Delos said, since Keller had finished talking. Rashel nodded, noting that they were a vampire/human pairing. Just like she and Quinn were. Well, like they used to be. Introductions continued - Rashel's mind was reeling with names and faces, but she knew she would remember. She chalked it up to one of those vamp things. Thea, a witch, and her soulmate Eric were in the city, keeping an eye on a notorious Night World club. A petite girl named Gillian was learning the skills of being a witch, while her soulmate David helped keep things organized in the mansion. Everyone did their part, but Rashel could only wonder if it was enough.

Quinn rested his hand on her shoulder, and she glanced back, meeting his eyes for a second. She knew he felt the same way, but he mentally added, '_Try to have hope. I think the idea of going under cover is worth thinking about.'_

_"_Where do you want us to start?" Ash asked, and Thierry looked to Keller. Keller leaned forwards, putting her elbows on her knees as she said, "Thea and Eric could use some help at that club downtown, there was another disappearance the other night. Mary-"

"She stays here," Ash said in a flat voice. Mary-Lynette raised an eyebrow at her soulmate, but Ash shook his head, "No way. Its too dangerous for you out there."

"Well, if your willing to commute every day, Mary Lynette can stay here and assist Hannah," Thierry suggested. Mare nodded, still scowling at Ash but accepting her role. Ash sat back, visibly relaxed. Keller turned to Quinn, and nodded, "You can help us with some scouting missions-"

"Excuse me, but I think I might have a better suggestion," Quinn said, very politely. Keller raised her eyebrows at him, and Thierry nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"Let us join Hunter," was all he said, and instantly, everyone spoke up.

"JOIN him?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

"You think he'd let you waltz in there?" The last comment was from Jez, and Quinn shook his head, "No, but I do think that I have the best chance of convincing him I really do want back in with him. And Rashel's taking to being a vampire well - I think we could both go."

"She's days old.." Keller trailed off, shrugging at Rashel, "No offense, but I think it takes awhile longer then that to pull of what he's suggesting."

"If we wait a week, and I work with everyone," Rashel started, "I think I could do it. No, I know I can. We need someone on the inside. Everything your doing is great, but it isn't enough. You know this." She stared into Thierry's eyes, and he nodded slowly, "I do know." Turning, he walked back to the window, staring out it as he thought.

"I'll help," Delos offered suddenly, "You'll need to know how to move like your an old vampire, how to speak."

"We'll all help," James said, leaning forwards, "If you do a session a day, with each of us, plus work with Quinn you just might be able to pull being an old vampire off."

_'What's Thierry thinking about?_' Rashel thought-asked to Quinn. His hand squeezed her shoulder briefly, and he returned, _'He knows its a good plan. I have some ideas on how we can relay information back here, but it's something we can discuss after he's agreed. I think its the danger factor - and he feels slightly responsible for you becoming as you are.'_ Rashel nodded, and as everyone spoke lightly to one another while Thierry thought, she turned in her seat, looking at Mary-Lynette. Mare was staring at her, and Rashel smiled, keeping her teeth carefully in check, "I don't bite, Mare."

"I know," Mary flushed, and she shifted closer, "You just look so different. Almost like you were fuzzy before, and now I can see you more detailed."

"Strangely enough, I get what that means," Rashel grinned, and Mare smiled back.

"If you aren't comfortable with sharing a room now, I'd understand," Rashel said, after a moment of silence. Mare raised both eyebrows, and said, "I think I trust you more then I trust Ash, Rashel." Rashel snorted at Ash's indigent noise.

"I think this should be discussed further, before we decide to go ahead," Keller interrupted, not wanting to change the subject as she meet Quinn's eyes levelly. He nodded, "Of course." Thierry turned back from the window, and once again joined Hannah.

"If this is what you want to do, then I think we should do it." Keller opened her mouth to speak, but Thierry shook his head so slightly Rashel barely saw it, but Keller didn't speak.

"Your right. Getting someone - no, not just someone, but _two_ people on the inside would be invaluable. There are lots of details to work out - and Quinn, you'd better be sure you can talk your way back in. Because if you don't, you'll both be killed on the spot." Rashel resisted the urge to react to the blunt words, and she nodded, trying to appear firmly with Quinn. Morgead grinned, giving Rashel a nudge as he got up to leave, "At least things are picking up around here. First, a human gets changed. Now under cover work. Circle Daybreak might never be the same."

"Speak for yourself. I can't wait for this to be over. I'm thinking a nice, long vacation somewhere.." Quinn muttered. Rashel got a flash of an image from his head before he could hide it - her, in what she could barely call a bikini, laying on the beach somewhere. She shot him a grin, and he wrinkled his nose, "You weren't supposed to see that." Thierry nodded, "We'll discuss the details soon, but you need to start training Rashel. You too, Quinn. Just in case." They nodded, and soon enough everyone was getting up and moving around. Quinn and Rashel took the opportunity to slip out of the room, walking down the hall towards the foyer. Girls and Boys weren't allowed to share rooms - save for Hannah and Thierry, which was a little strange in Rashel's mind but she didn't push it. The foyer was where she and Quinn would have to part for the night.

"Did you really mean it?" She asked suddenly, "When you said I was catching on well?" He nodded, not looking at her as he said, "I think its because you spent so much time memorizing how we move, how we act. How we fight. Even when you were human, you moved like us. People didn't call you the Cat for no reason." Rashel made a humming noise, pondering over his words. Then, she started to laugh. Quinn raised both eyebrows, looking at her as he waited for her to explain.

"I just.. don't you find it funny, that I spent all my life trying to kill what I am now, and the entire time I moved, fought, even hunted like a vampire?" Quinn gave her a wry smile, pulling her closer and kissing her forehead. She kept her smile on her face as she nestled her head in against his neck. He wasn't much taller then her, and their bodies felt like they aligned perfectly.

"I'm sorry, about covering the marks.." Rashel said softly, trailing off and not moving from her spot against his neck. Quinn thought in return,_ 'It doesn't matter anymore. I wonder.._' She felt him move the hair off her neck, and knew through the bond he was smiling.

_'The scars are still here,'_ he explained, not vocalizing, '_I have one, on my hip. Wounds heal during the change, but scar tissue remains a part of you.'_

'_That's fine,'_ Rashel sent back. She switched to speaking as she hesitated, before adding, "This way I'm yours forever. It's like a tattoo." Quinn snorted, but gave her a tender kiss on the lips, "Your mine forever, whether your marked or not, kid. Not that I mind so much, but we don't really have a say in that matter anymore." She gave him a smile, and said, "I better get to bed. Got training to do in the morning, don't ya know."

"Are you sure you don't want to sneak into my room? I can kick Ash out, it's not very hard."

"Goodnight, Quinn." As she started to walk up the stairs to her and Mare's room, Quinn's soft voice floated up to her, lazilly saying, "I love you." She paused, glancing back in surprise. Had they said that aloud before? Sure, she got that in their minds all the time, but..

He was looking very nonchalant, and she didn't need the bond to sense his discomfort. The last time he'd said that, was to Dove, while he was a human all those many years ago. She knew he didn't want her to make a huge deal out of it, and even as their bond sang in her head, she just lowered her eyes, smiling, "Love you too." Then, she turned and went to bed, knowing she handled things the way he'd want. It was only after she was out of sight, that she let herself take a deep, giddy breath._ Look at yourself,_ she mentally scolded herself. She was becoming as soft as Daphne. But strangely enough, she didn't think she minded.

* * *

Rashel woke in an antsy mood. Her entire body was aching to do something, to run, swim, feed. Anything. She sprang up, and tested the bond. She knew Quinn was barely awake, and from his mind she got that he was laying in bed, his room empty of Ash who had left early for the city. She glanced in the mirror, and frowned. Every vampire she knew was beautiful - especially the females. Poppy, for instance, is devastatingly so. Why did she have to wake up with bed head still? She prayed to the soulmate gods that Quinn stayed in bed for awhile, and she went into the bathroom. She threw on training clothes - no point in changing twice that morning. But she ran a brush through her hair, keeping it down as she left her room.

The boys wing was attached to the girls by the grand staircase, which was Y shaped and led into the entrance hall. She hurried down, and then up the stairs, coming into an identical hallway as her own was. She wandered down slower then she was moving before, and the third door down she felt a shiver of anticipation. This one. She tested the doorknob as quietly as possible, making a mental note to thank Ash for leaving it unlocked.

She slowly opened the door, not hearing a peep with her vampire senses. She slipped inside, but frowned when she saw the empty bed. She made her body still, and instead of using the bond she tried to feel where Quinn was. It didn't make sense, but something in her mind was yelling at her to look up. She did, and gasped, covering her hand with one mouth. Quinn, suspended in the corner like a giant spider, dropped down on her with a grin, arms snaking fast around her waist. She tried to maneuver out, but he had his arms locked, and together then fell sideways into the bed. Rashel laughed, "I didn't know we could do _that_."

"I'll teach you," Quinn smiled, rubbing his nose against hers. It amazed her how tender he could be - he was nothing like the vampire she'd met a week or so ago. Almost as an afterthought, he added, "We'll also work on your sneaking capabilities. I could hear you a mile away."

"Yeah right," Rashel snorted, giving him a playful shove. He grinned, "Come on, let's go to the kitchen and then get started." They got up, and Rashel waited for Quinn to throw a shirt on before they set off. Reaching the kitchen, Rashel mixed her blood concoction almost absent-mindfully. Quinn noticed, and he said, "Your adapting. It's good."

"I'm dealing," she corrected, taking a sip from the muddy brown liquid, "There's a difference." He ignored her, drinking his right from the plastic bag.

"What first?" She asked, after they'd finished. He looked thoughtful, then suggested, "The forest. What's the hurry?"

"I'm excited. I want to show Thierry we're ready," she said, anticipation evident through their bond. He grinned at her, flashing his fangs, and as he followed her out the door he mumbled, "You might not be too excited after training tonight." Rashel wrinkled her nose at him - after feeding, she felt like she could take on the world. What did he know?

Quinn heard this last part over their bond, and smirked. Rashel was in for a surprise. And he couldn't help but feel slightly excited for that himself. Sure, he loved the frustrating woman - but her views on vampires were about to be changed forever. Again.


	9. Copper

Running. Sparring. Ettiquette. Using her senses. Damn _table manners_.

Rashel felt like she'd been run through a washing machine and hung to dry. Her entire body ached - she didn't even know vampires could feel continuous pain like this. It almost made her hope that in the past, she hadn't let any of them suffer that long. Almost.

She didn't know how much more she could take. All of the vampire in the mansion were taking it upon themselves to help Rashel pass herself off as an older vampire, one that could be useful to Hunter Redfern alongside Quinn. Delos was the master at etiquette and manners - apparently old vampires were a snotty bunch. Quinn helped her the most with her body - moving, sensing things, hunting for animals in the forest (but never eating them). Those lessons weren't bad. James and Poppy helped the most in the library, where they poured over map after map of the area around Hunter's island.

It was the sparring that killed her. Jez and Morgead were great - no, not great. Rashel knew they really were the best. They moved like lightning, and knew so many different offensive and defensive maneuvers it made her head spin. They made her practice fricking _acrobatics_ until her body instinctively knew them. They fought with bare hands, and with sticks. It had been four days, and she had yet to gain the upper hand on either of them. Quinn often watched the sessions - every now and again, he jumped in for a match or two, but something felt strange about fighting with someone your connected with mentally. They both broadcasted so loudly while fighting it was impossible to catch the other off guard. So instead, he called out advice as she sweated through match after match.

"Your letting your left side fall," Jez snapped, whacking her hard arm with the stick. Rashel hissed - an automatic reaction, and she tried to move on the offensive. Jez parried her blows, and thrust the stick into her stomach. The air left Rashel's chest as she flew backwards, landing flat on her butt. She scowled at Quinn, who was surpressing a grin.

"How do you think you'll make it if you can't even fight me?" Jez asked, getting frustrated. She threw her stick down, "I give up. Your a lost cause, Jorden."

"The hell I am. Get back here!" Rashel yelled, suddenly furious. She needed Jez, she couldn't let her walk away. Quickly, she added, "Unless your too scared to fight me hand to hand. I almost had you last time."

"Yeah, you think so?" Jez turned, so that she was sideways to Rashel. She held her body like she was floating on air - Rashel bent her knees, waiting for Jez to attack. This time, she centered herself, wondering if zanshin would still work. She hadn't tried it yet, because it was her last hope, and she would have been upset to find out it didn't so early in her training. Now, she took a deep breath, focusing like she had all those years before. She watched Quinn sit up a little straighter - as the calm energy flowed around her, she knew Quinn could feel it too. Aha. She grinned to herself. Her zanshin was back.

"You'll regret that.." Morgead was chuckling, watching his soulmate knowingly. Jez crouched suddenly, but as she attacked, Rashel was one step ahead of her. She sidestepped, spinning around to kick her ribs _hard_ as Jez missed her body entirely. The only sound was a gasp from Jez as something crunched in her chest, and she flew forwards, falling flat on her face. Morgead was at her side in an instant, and Rashel turned towards her, breathing slightly harder. Zanshin was gone, but she had a feeling she'd finally won.

"What was that?" Quinn asked, walking over. Rashel gave him a wry smile, and said, "Zanshin. It's how I used to be able to fight our kind so well." She walked over to Jez, and crouched down beside Morgead, "She ok?"

"Healing already," Jez said from her back on the ground. She shot Rashel a full grin, and said, "You might stand a chance, Vampire Hunter." Rashel rolled her eyes, but grinned back. Since Morgead insisted Jez lay flat until she was fully healed, Rashel and Quinn left the sparring area.

"Hungry?" Quinn asked suddenly. Rashel frowned - something in the way he asked sounded off. She nodded slowly, "A little." He stopped, and stood in front of her, his hands resting on her shoulder. Quietly, he said, "Your not going to like this."

"What?" She asked, very cautious now. Quinn looked hesitant, but he finally said, "We all think it would be a good idea for you to feed from a human before you go into Hunters. You might be expected to there - you can't refuse. You know that." Rashel's eyes were wide, and she shook her head, stepping back, "I'll deal with that later. Talk my way out of it.."

"That might be a test, Rashel. You won't be able to live if you don't do it," Quinn said, pleading with her through the bond_, 'There are ways to do it do that the human does not get hurt, and does not remember. You need to learn this before we go, and learn how to hide it so Hunter doesn't suspect any pity for the human.' _Rashel could feel that he totally meant was he was saying, and she swallowed hard, her already pale face going much paler, "I hadn't considered that before."

"Look. I'll be there with you - you won't be able to hurt anyone. I just want you to do it once - fresh human blood is entirely different then the blood bags. Doing it more then once would be best, but I'm not stupid enough to push for this."

"And Thierry okay-ed it?" Rashel asked skeptically. Quinn nodded, and she felt his truth. Her heart sank.

"Where do we go to.. you know.." she trailed off helplessly, at a complete loss of words. He raised an eyebrow, and said, "To do the deed, you mean?"

Nod.

"We'll go to a club. Not the one downtown that Ash is watching, but a different, more, ah.. seedier one. It's right on the strip, and it caters to every type of Night World and human imaginable." Rashel nodded, not daring to open her mouth in case it betrayed her and started to protest. Her entire body was already screaming at how wrong it was. How could she actually do it once she got there? Her mind mulled things over as they walked inside, and Quinn hesitated at the kitchen door.

"You probably shouldn't eat right now," he explained, "You will tonight, and if your full it will be much harder."

"Your the boss," Rashel smiled, albeit weakly. She knew Quinn could sense her disgust at what they were going to do that night, and she appreciated the fact that he studiously ignored it. Instead, she watched him open his blood bag, the tips of her fangs poking into her bottom lip. He glanced over, and grinned, "Go upstairs for awhile, and get dolled up. Might as well use this as an excuse to go out for awhile too." She understood that he wanted her out of the room while he ate, and she scowled, "Fine. But I don't have anything to wear."

"Go ask Jez - I've gone out with them before. I'd like to see you in one of her dresses."

For some reason, she didn't like the sound of that.

* * *

When it was time to leave later, Rashel felt ridiculous. She knew that Quinn was waiting for her downstairs with Jez and Morgead, but she couldn't make her legs move down the staircase. She was worried everyone would see her downstairs if she did.

Jez had healed well from the rib injury, and she lent Rashel some clothes with a warning not to get blood on them. Jez was taller then Rashel, which is why the demin mini skirt was threatening to reveal the parts it was supposed to hide. She had received a white, lacy camisole to wear on her top - hell, she felt like she was in her underwear. She'd gotten Mare's help with her hair - it was down, and slightly wavy thanks to a cool blow dryer setting. Then, Hannah'd shown up with a breifcase full of makeup. Scary makeup.

She felt like a barbie doll as she walked down the stairs, turning slightly to protect any modesty she could get out of this outfit. She knew when Quinn saw her first - a rush of heat tingling over their connection. Her eyes met his, and she smiled, unaware of how enticing she looked. Quinn's eyes darkened slowly, and he followed her every step closely. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Morgead jerked his head towards the door, "Let's go, the cars out there." He and Jez went outside, and Quinn waited for Rashel to approach. He was shielding his thoughts from her, and she scowled, "I know it's a stupid outfit, I tried to tell her-" Quinn cut her off by grabbing her hips and dragging her against his body, kissing her thoroughly. Her eyebrows were raised as he pulled back, and gruffly said, "Come on."

_'So.. you like this kind of outfit?'_ Rashel thought, wondering if this is the type of girl Quinn went for before she came along. In response, Quinn snorted aloud, and thought, '_I didn't have a kind. But yeah. I like the outfit.'_ She felt the want for her underneath his words, and shot him a knowing grin. It felt good to be wanted.

As they drove from the outskirts of Las Vegas into the tourist center, Rashel asked, "So, what is this club called?"

"Gravedigger," Jez grinned from the front seat. Morgead rolled his eyes, "It's human ran, but it's a hot spot for Night Worlders too." Rashel nodded, looking back out the window. She was trying to keep it from Quinn, but she was freaking out. Seriously freaking out.

Her body kept anticipating blood, but her mind was screaming and screaming against it. She felt like half of her was on one side, and half the other. The angel and devil on her shoulders. She sighed, slumping back into the seat.

"We're here," Quinn mumbled, sensing Rashel's distress but not commenting. They climbed out of the vehicle, and rather then wait in the lineup of humans, they were able to walk straight in once Morgead flashed his ring. Vampire status, Rashel mused, as they entered a huge room with throbbing music and strobe lights. Her fangs were out slightly - she wasn't used to being this hungry yet, and all around her bodies full of warm blood were pulsating to the music.

"We'll wait awhile. It's easier once they're tired or intoxicated," Quinn mumbled in an undertone. Rashel nodded sharply, turning to look at him.

He had taken off his jacket, and underneath he wore just a black tank top and his dark blue jeans. His hair was a bit messy, and his eyes had cat-shaped irises. A jolt of lust ran though her, and over the bond to Quinn. He smiled, flashing his fangs as he pulled her closer, nuzzling his cheek against her head. He sent her a picture of how she looked to him, which shocked her. She looked smooth, graceful in her outfit, and her cat-eyes were sparkling with the lights. The tiny, uncontrollable tips of her fangs were apparently pretty hot as well. She met his eyes, and offered him a half-grin, thinking '_Wanna dance, then?_' He nodded, and pulled her close again. While they had done that, the crowd had encircled them, spilling off the dance floor as it got too full.

Rashel shifted closer, aligning her body once more with Quinns. It felt so right, she nearly groaned as they started to move like the humans were. Dancing had never interested her before, but she supposed it might be because she never had a hot guy to do it with. And, yeah. Quinn was smokin'.

His lips found her neck, placing a tender kiss over her mark as they moved as one, hips grinding and hands moving. Rashel turned, rubbing her back against his solid chest. His hands caught her hips, holding her firmly in place as he pressed himself as close as possible. Their bond was wide open - it pulsed with the music, a mixture of lust and enjoyment.

Just as Rashel turned, really getting into dancing, Quinn whispered, "Girl or boy?"

"What?" She mumbled, staring up at him with lidded eyes. He leaned closer, biting her lip softly, and he whispered, "Would you like to feed from a female?" Rashel hesitated, looking around involuntarily.

"Female," she finally nodded, feeling like it would be less sexual if she fed from a girl then a guy. Quinn nodded, and he kissed Rashel once more, before leaning back and telling her, '_You need to glamor someone. Remember what I told you?'_ Rashel nodded. Stare into their eyes. Use a strong, firm voice. Convince them of what you need them to believe.

"Happy hunting," Jez's cocky voice smirked, from where she and Morgead were dancing nearby. Rashel shot her a look, but then turned, rubbing her back against Quinn once more as she scanned the crowd.

Her eyes landed on a punk, a girl who couldn't be much older then the legal drinking age here. Hell, maybe she was younger then that - Rashel doubted they cared who they let in at a place like this. The girl had on heaps of dark makeup, and had straight, long blonde hair. Lots of piercings and tattoos, but the thing that caught Rashel's eye was the fake fang marks she'd stuck to her neck, and the fake blood trickling from them. If she had to bite someone, at least it could be someone who pretended they got bit anyways.

Quinn nodded as he read the logic in her mind, and nudged her with his hip, "I'll be around, don't worry." Rashel nodded. Her heart was beating fast - god, she didn't want to do this. She slipped into the group around Punk Girl, and pulled her close, dancing with her. The girl had very loud thoughts, and Rashel picked up that Punky thought she was pretty hot, and that she didn't mind dancing with her in the least. And that she hoped maybe Rashel would want to go smoke with her in awhile.

As if on cue, Rashel leaned forwards, and breathed into the girls ear, "I need a smoke. Come?" Punk Girl nodded, following Rashel through the crowd to the back exit sign. As she walked through, they emerged in a dark, narrow alley. The door close firmly behind them, but Rashel could feel that Quinn was nearby. She bet he ran out the front as soon as they started to walk at human pace towards the back.

"Got a light?" The girl asked, not looking at Rashel too hard. Rashel could see the constant pulse in Punky's neck. Her fangs emerged fully, making her mouth and throat thrub. She stepped closer, Punky finally looked at her. And screamed.

Rashel was on her in a moment - a day without feeding had left her hungry, and a little desperate. She pinned the girl to the wall, and mumbled, "I won't hurt you.." She ripped down Punky's collar, and cast a quick glance behind her. She could see Quinn leaning against the opposite wall, hidden in the shadows. He gave her a nod. Determined, she looked back at her, and said, "You won't remember this. You'll think you fell asleep while having a smoke." She waited for an affirmation, and that was all the urging she needed. She leaned forwards, hesitating only once before sinking her fangs easily into the soft flesh. Punky groaned - pain or pleasure, Rashel was too caught up to tell. The coppery tang of blood reached her mouth, warm, etc fluid coating her throat. She felt like she was Punky for a moment - she could feel her emotions, see her memories, hear her thoughts. Then, Quinn's voice urged,_ 'Step back from her mentally, and it will be easier for her to forget_.' Rashel listened, thankful that her mind was still being rational when her body was so out of control.

She kept waiting for the disgust. Instead, she felt like she was drunk. She couldn't seem to draw enough of her blood fast enough - as she bit harder, she felt a hand on her arm, and Quinn tugging at her to stop. She snarled, shoving back at him as she kept drinking. She knew she had to stop, but her body was beyond her. Only the sharp ache of pain in her stomach made her stop. She lifted her head, eyes wide.

Quinn stood there, rubbing his now-sore knuckles from giving her a good whack in the ribs. He shrugged apologetically, "It was the only way." She remembered what she was doing, then, and promptly dropped the poor girl to the ground. Reaching up, Rashel touched the still-warm blood that lined her lips.

"Can vampires puke?" She asked bluntly, as Quinn positioned the girl more comfortably in the alley. He winced, and nodded, "Kind of." Rashel turned around, and threw up. Quinn waited patiently for her to finish, before he wrapped his arm around her, "Home?" She nodded, unable to speak. She couldn't get the taste of copper out of her mouth. They made it to the vehicle and left without informing Jez or Morgead - Quinn had already informed them they'd be running home. Not that they minded.

"You okay?" Quinn asked, driving slowly in the heavy traffic on the Strip. Rashel sat, silent and unmoving. Giving up, he gently touched her mind with his, letting her know he was there when she was ready. He erected a light wall after that - he didn't want Rashel to feel how sick he felt. Not from her doing it - he was proud that she got through it. But he was sick that the world was coming to a point where his soulmate had to do something she imagined to be the worst possible thing. He sighed, barely watching where he was driving. The Circle owed her big time.


	10. Into The Lion's Den

"Do you honestly think your ready? That she's ready?" Thierry asked this in a serious voice, facing Quinn. They sat in the leather armchairs, in the library. They had chosen that place to meet, so that Quinn could speak freely away from any other wandering Daybreakers. He hadn't slept since the day before - once they'd returned home from the club, he had made sure Rashel was fast asleep before slipping out of her room. Thierry had waited up patiently with Hannah for him to come report - she was downstairs making cocoa for them now.

"I think we're as ready as we're going to get," Quinn replied, leaning forwards so his elbows rested on his knees. He rubbed his hands over his face, the signs of fatigue starting to show. He continued, "She has the skills, Thierry. She had them before she was turned - it was just a matter of getting used to her body again. She.. she didn't take well to what she had to do earlier tonight. She was sick afterwards. But she did it. Thats what matters." Thierry nodded, staring off into space as he thought. He slowly agreed, "Your as ready as your going to get. When do you want to leave? Do you have a plan?"

"We'll take a day to rest. My plan is to go directly to Hunter's island - there's no point in beating around the bush with him."

"And Rashel knows the risks? We owe her a great deal.." Thierry trailed off, and Quinn nodded, "She couldn't have fed from that girl unless she was serious." Hannah slipped into the library, offering Quinn a small smile as she passed him a hot cocoa. He smiled gratefully, but didn't drink any.

"Go to bed," Thierry suggested, gesturing for Hannah to sit next to him, "We can figure out the rest tomorrow when you wake up. I've got Keller acquiring equipment you can use to communicate with us undetected while your there, and Ash had a few contact in the market for weapons. They'll all be back tomorrow, mid-day. Sleep as long as you need - it may be your last easy one for awhile." Quinn nodded, and he stood, going to leave.

"John?" Thierry asked, his voice sounding a bit different then a moment before. Quinn turned, raising one eyebrow at the use of his first name. Thierry had known him just after he was turned - he had started going by Quinn already, but it had still been commonly known that John was his first name.

"Circle Daybreak owes you both a great debt. Please know that we will do whatever is in our power to keep you safe in there." Thierry was dead serious, and Quinn nodded quickly, "I know."

"Goodnight," Hannah said softly. Quinn nodded to her as well, and left the room. He ignored the rules about sleeping with your soulmate - he went straight to her room, and snuck past Mary Lynette's side of the room. He slipped into Rashel's warm bed, and gently pulled her close, wondering when the next time he'd get to do this was.

* * *

When Rashel woke, she tried to roll over, and was stopped by a solid body laying next to her. Her mind buzzed as she felt Quinn, and she slipped her arm around his waist, snuggling in against him. She could feel through the bond that he was just waking as well - they tended to do that together. She figured it was because their minds triggered one another's. She felt his cool lips press against his forehead, and he mumbled, "Sleep well?"

"Yeah,"she replied, mildly surprised. Last nights events swam at the surface of her thoughts, but she brushed them away for now. His lips were moving down to her cheek, then to her chin and nose. She fought a smile, and tilted her chin up, catching his lips quickly. She opened her eyes, finding his staring straight at her.

"We're leaving today, aren't we." She stated this, not having picked it from his head, but just from knowing. She could feel it. He nodded, and said, "They have weapons and equipment ready to go. We'll drive part of the way, and then run the rest. Old vampires wouldn't drive onto a ferry to get to Hunter - we will probably have to swim. So pack lightly." Rashel nodded, and they slipped out of bed, she said, "Then what?"

"What do you mean?"

"When we swim to the island. Do we go marching inside? Do we wait on the shore for someone to find us?" Quinn paused, and glanced over with a grim smile. He took his time moving to the door, and as they emerged in the hallway he answered, "Do you remember, those disgusting werewolves that guarded Lily's island?" She nodded, and he continued, "It will be like that, but times ten. And with firepower. Think of the ones on Lily's island as a mall cop, and the ones guarding the shores on Hunter's island as a S.W.A.T. team."

"Oh," Rashel replied weakly. She hadn't thought much further then passing herself as an old vampire.

"We'll surrender immediately - if all goes to plan, they'll take us to Hunter, or someone high up. We'll tell him I'm sorry for my indiscretion, and that your a vampire who has been covering as a spy for Circle Daybreak. Thierry will have some minor information for us to tell him to pass that off." Rashel nodded, absorbing the plan. She knew what Quinn wasn't saying, though. She knew that if things didn't go according to this exact plan, they'd end up dead. And she knew - only because Morgead let it slip to her - that Quinn would be punished for disobeying Hunter and causing death to his own kind even if they were believed.

Her thoughts were broadcasting loudly, and Quinn cast her a sideways glance, and said, "That's something we'll have to deal with. I heal, Rashel. So do you." She nodded, pushing open the kitchen door. As she took her turn getting out the blood bags, she wondered, in a quiet voice, "Do you ever think we're doing too much, Quinn?" This was met with silence, and he silently thought,_ 'If we don't, who will?'_

_'What about the Wild Powers?_' She thought back, understanding that this was not a public conversation. He added her Worcestershire Sauce, replying,_ 'The Circle needs to protect them, and continue stopping all of the bad things that are happening. What we're doing may be big, but the little things need to be taken care of as well.'_ Rashel nodded, slipping her straw in her cup and giving it a quick shake as she verbalized, "I know."

"At least we'll be doing something. We could be sitting in a dark van all night, watching a boring nightclub like Ash," Quinn grinned, as Ash walked into the kitchen. He looked like he was ready for bed, and he gave Quinn a withering look as he grabbed his own bag. As he drank, he said, "The weapons are in Thierry's study - I need to sleep. Good luck, man." Quinn nodded, offering Ash a hand. Ash raised an eyebrow, and for a moment Rashel was scared he was going to say something snarky. Instead, though, he reached forwards, gripping Quinn's forearm. They stared at each other for a moment, before Ash let go, and he gave Rashel a light punch in the shoulder as he walked by. His voice echoed back to them, "Give them a run for their money, Vampire Hunter."

* * *

Rashel had anticipated getting their weapons since she'd found out about them, and after they packed a light bag with clothes and basic provisions, they went straight to Thierry's study. It was dusk - the sun was just setting over the tree tops, and it cast strange shadows across the oriental rug. Even still, her eyes landed on it the moment they walked in.

"A bokken!" She put her bag down, picking up the wooden weapon off the table. She flashed Quinn a grin, and said, "Bring back any memories?"

"Not ones I want to say aloud," Quinn grimaced, thinking about being knocked out by her old one when they first met as he strapped a knife to his forearm. Keller handed Rashel a holder for her sword, and said, "You'll have to make do with these, and find more once your on the inside. Where are those mics?"

"Right here," Delos said, producing two tiny pins from his pocket. He nodded his head towards a monitor system, and said, "Wear these anywhere on your upper body - we'll be able to hear everything that's going on."

"What if we need to communicate back?" Quinn asked. Maggie smiled from behind Delos, and said, "Delos can walk in your dreams, and you can talk to him there. He'll report back to us."

"Dreamwalk? Wow, that's something I didn't know about," Rashel said. Delos shrugged, "Wild Power thing, I think. Oh, and here.." He trailed off, and wrapped a leather bracelet around Rashel's wrist, "Its got a band of silver on the inside. If those mutts don't let you get a word in, just make sure your hand comes out before he reaches your neck." Rashel nodded, eyeing the leather curiously.

"It would be too obvious for you to wear one as well," Thierry explained, at Quinn's questioning look. He nodded, "Ah, I see. Does that mean you think it would be best if we pretend not to know one another?"

"I think its safe to say you know each other," Thierry mused, walking over to the window to think, "But not on a soulmate level. Don't even utter the word soulmate. You could claim you met in one of Hunter's clubs - you offered Rashel an in, and she offered you sex."

"What?" Rashel blurted out, surprised at Thierry's bluntness.

"That's how it is between vampires, or the darker ones anyways," Quinn briefly explained, "You'd be expected to do me a service, and in return I would do you one."

"Ah." Rashel wrinkled her nose.

"At least this way you might be able to share a room. The last thing you need is to be completely out of range from each other," Keller suggested, tossing them both a light jacket. Once they were on, Rashel took a deep breath. She looked to Quinn, who nodded, "I think we're as ready as we can be."

"Blessed be," Thierry said, kissing Quinn on the forehead. Quinn nodded back, and Thierry repeated the process with Rashel. The other occupants of the room nodded as well, silent as Quinn and Rashel made their way to the door. Rashel looked back once before slipping through the doorway - she offered a smile, one that even Keller returned. She was trying hard not to think about seeing them all again - instead, she forced herself to stay optimistic. It didn't really matter that she didn't expect to make it out alive, it mattered that they thought she did.

* * *

They drove most of the way - Quinn was a little uncertain of the best place to swim from, but he knew the island was accessible, so they would have to hope he picked a relatively close spot. They couldn't drive right up to the lake - Just because there weren't guards on the mainland, didn't mean there wasn't surveillance. Hunter had prided himself on adapting certain technologies to be used for his purposes, and Quinn knew that somewhere deep in his Manor, there would be a neat little room with rows of video screens.

This is how Rashel found herself reluctantly leaving the quiet of the SUV, shrugging her pack onto her back. Quinn locked the truck up, and nodded once, "Alright. The lake is north-east from here - if we move fast enough, we won't have to camp. Think your up for it?"

"Yep," Rashel replied immediately. Quinn glanced over, shooting her a weak smile, "You know, when we sailed away from Lily's island in that monstrosity of Hunter's, I promised to myself that I wouldn't ever let you be in a dangerous situation again." Rashel walked closer, giving him a sweet kiss on the lips. She pulled back a fraction of an inch, and whispered, "I've been in dangerous situations since I was thirteen, Quinn. Trust me. I can pull this off." Quinn moved closer for another kiss, uncomfortably aware that it was the last one they could share. Rashel seemed to sense it too, because her hands rested against his chest, clutching his shirt gently. He squeezed her close, and nuzzled her head, mentally whispering,_ 'We can communicate like this, still. It's not all lost.'_

_'Just promise me once we're out of there, we head straight for Bali,_' came Rashel's wry reply. Quinn kissed her forehead, and they parted. She offered a smile, and said, "Lead the way."

They left the parking lot, making their own trail through the growth of the old forest. Rashel didn't have a hard time keeping up - all her training had paid off. It was the swimming she was worried about, but she knew Quinn had faith that she could make it, so she knew she would. They ran in silence, not even communicating through their bond. Rashel understood that it was important to stay alert here.

It took awhile, but she heard the gentle lapping of the lake shore a few minutes before they arrived. The lake was more like an ocean - she couldn't see the other side, nor could she see any other side then the one they stood on. Quinn paused at the shore, and mumbled, "I'll lead - but if anything happens, swim straight. Thea did some spell or whatever it is she does to make out packs waterproof - oh, and try to keep your head above. There is no telling what protection they have - if he is using wolves, he wouldn't be adverse to using a witch or two to do some enchanting." They waded in, and Rashel was instantly freezing.

"An example of their enchanting," Quinn said, through gritted teeth, "No human would dare swim in this, they wouldn't make it halfway there."

"Good thing I'm not human, then, isn't it?" Rashel asked, wading further. Quinn followed, and soon the ground beneath their feet gave way to just water. They swam steadily, and soon, Rashel knew she couldn't see land in _any_ direction. Quinn could sense her nerves, and he thought,_ 'We can't be far. Be ready.'_ He felt, rather then heard her acknowledgement.

His warning hadn't come a moment too soon - almost right after, there was a fast plunk in the water right in front of Rashel. She felt the water stir as something shot by her, narrowly missing her hip.

"Arrows. Underwater!" Quinn commanded. Rashel didn't waste a second, and she dove deep as another arrow pierced the water, now above them. It was darker then she would have expected, and she stuck close to Quinn as a series of arrows dove into the water around them. The ground was slowly rising, and she felt panicked as they followed it closer to the surface. The arrows had stopped, but just before she broke the surface, rough hands grabbed her hair, yanking her out. Hard.

Rashel fought the urge to gasp - an old vampire wouldn't do such a human thing. Instead, she focused her expression to resemble something like boredom, and didn't look around like she was desperately wanting to for Quinn. She knew he was out of the water as well - she assumed he had been similarly yanked out.

"Lost?" A rough, gravelly voice asked from above Rashel. She flicked her eyes up, looking straight into the wooden arrow lined up in a crossbow. The man holding said crossbow was, for lack of better word, _hairy_. She caught the tail end of Quinn's thoughts,_ '..filthy mutts.'_

"We are here to see Hunter," Quinn said aloud, "If you kill us before he knows, he will be most displeased. You know what Redfern's do to people who displease them."

"Who are you to command me?" The rough voice mocked, switching his crossbow to target Quinn instead.

"John Quinn."

"And the woman?" Rashel gritted her teeth. Before Quinn could answer, she replied, "My name is not of your concern, mutt. Get that arrow out of his face before I snap you in two." She sounded confident and full of contempt, and the werewolf paused, uncertain. She could almost hear his thoughts - he was probably wondering if she held as much authority as she sounded like she did.

"You better show us to Hunter Redfern, before he gets wind of this," Quinn reminded, and the crossbow was finally lowered.

"Avrit," the wolf snapped, getting the attention of the other guard with them, "Go tell the master there are two trespassers asking to see him. Tell'm its John Quinn and.."

"Rose Deergrass," Rashel replied smoothly, giving the earthy name Thierry had suggested to her as her cover. The wolf walked away, muttering into a walkie talkie. It was several moments before he returned, and growled, "You'd better hope you are s'posed to be here. You've got an audience with the master 'imself. And e'll do a lot worse then us if you aren't. This way." Quinn and Rashel exchanged the briefest of glances, and Rashel followed the wolf first. They walked up a stone staircase that was built into the steep island, and as they emerged at the top, she caught sight of an enormous house. Hell, it could rival Thierry's.

And here they were, walking into the lions den.


End file.
